Gazprom Neft Expands Oil Production In The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq

Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazprom Neft Middle East B.V. has commissioned a third production well at its Sarqala field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)

Potential production at this new well is estimated at 12,000 barrels per day. Cumulative daily oil production at the field following the commissioning of the Sarqala-3 well has increased by 25 percent reaching 35,000 barrels.

The well runs to a total depth of 3,291 metres, with drilling having been undertaken under the challenging geological conditions of the Sarqala field — anomalously high pressure and reservoir temperature having demanded the use of a selection of 11 technological solutions. The construction of the Sarqala-3 well has, as a result, involved the use of large-diameter casing pipes with ultra-strong thread connections, weighted drilling mud for bottom-hole flushing, and cement incorporating mineral-based and iron-oxide additives. Drilling the well has involved an international team, with members from 20 countries. The project was implemented by Gazprom Neft Middle East, with technical support from the Gazprom Neft Science and Technology Centre.

Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO, Gazprom Neft, commented: “The Middle East remains an area of strategic interest to Gazprom Neft, being a region with a rich resource base, and a demonstrable willingness to allow access to investors. Experience in implementing projects from scratch — both in exploration and production — is important to us. We are continuing to evaluate opportunities for the further development of our business in the Middle East — independently and in partnership with other companies — both using the synergies offered by existing project infrastructure, as well as at other assets.”

Gazprom Neft is involved in implementing two projects in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), at the Shakal and Garmian blocks. Gazprom Neft’s interest in the Shakal block is 80 percent (with the remaining interest being held by the Government of the KRI), and 40 percent in the Garmian block (with the Government of the KRI holding 20 percent, and Canada’s WesternZagros 40 percent). Gazprom Neft has been Operator on the Garmian project since February 2016.

First oil was obtained at the Garmian block in 2011, with commercial oil shipments commencing in 2015. Gazprom Neft completed its expansion of field infrastructure — including completion of a new high- and low-pressure separation processing line, two 17,000-barrel-capacity reservoirs, and the reconstruction of the oil-tanker loading system — in time for the commissioning of the Sarqala-3 well: this modernisation providing greater transportation and storage capacity in line with higher oil production