18 May 2015
MUSCAT: Output from US-based international oil and gas firm Occidental Petroleum Corporation's (Oxy) hydrocarbon assets in the Sultanate has grossed over 800 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) over the three decades of its Oman operations, according to a high-ranking executive. Robert Swain, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy) Oman, said that production from Oxy operated fields has tripled over the last decade to reach around 83 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) in 2014, averaging 227,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
"Over the years we have identified hydrocarbon reserves in Oxy blocks of over 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent based on a combination of successful exploration and reservoir characterisation projects," said Swain. "To date we have cumulatively produced more than 800 million barrels of oil equivalent," he added in a recent presentation on the company's expanding operations in the Sultanate. Oxy Oman is celebrating 30 years of successful operations in the Sultanate, having emerged as the country's largest independent oil producer over this period. The company has a substantial portfolio of hydrocarbon assets in the Sultanate: it is the operator of Block 9 (65 per cent working interest), Block 27 (65 per cent working interest), Block 53 (45 per cent working interest) and Block 62 (48 per cent working interest).
A significant proportion of Oxy's production comes from the Mukhaizna heavy oilfield (Block 53) which it operates under a 30-year Production Sharing Contract signed with the Omani government in 2005.
The Mukhaizna oilfield, according to Swain, has over three billion barrels of oil in place in both heavy oil sands and fractured carbonates. Since it assumed operatorship of the field in 2005, Oxy has drilled more than 2,400 new wells, while installing extensive facilities to support its steam flood project.
"We are now the largest heavy oil steam flood in the Middle East, and we recently commenced exploration of both shallow and deeper zones in the block. We are testing the first wells as we speak, and look forward to the results," the Senior VP and General Manager said.
Another key contributor to Oxy's hydrocarbon production is Block 9, where output from the Safah and Wadi Latham fields currently averages around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), said Swain. Underpinning this output is a combination of over 1100 wells and continued exploration success building out from the main Safah discovery into multiple smaller fields that are connected to the existing production infrastructure, he added.
In adjoining Block 27, Oxy has drilled more than 67 wells to tap the hydrocarbon potential of the Khamilah field. Discovered in 2005, the field has a reserves potential of around 200 million barrels of oil equivalent in place, with output currently averaging 10,000 boepd.
In Block 62, Oxy has made headway in the development of two fields within the Discovered Non-Associated Gas (DNAG) Area. The company is moving ahead with an Extended Production Test facility targeting two key gas fields. "We are drilling development wells right now while upgrading and installing a gas plant to handle that production. We will have first gas production by the end of 2015," said Swain.
Also during the course of 2014, Oxy reported a total of eight new oil and gas discoveries that added an estimated 19 million barrels of oil equivalent to hydrocarbon reserves. Of this number, three oil finds were made in Block 9 and four in Block 27, while a gas and condensate discovery was made in Block 62. 3D seismic acquisition was also completed in Blocks 9 and 27 as well.
MUSCAT: Output from US-based international oil and gas firm Occidental Petroleum Corporation's (Oxy) hydrocarbon assets in the Sultanate has grossed over 800 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) over the three decades of its Oman operations, according to a high-ranking executive. Robert Swain, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy) Oman, said that production from Oxy operated fields has tripled over the last decade to reach around 83 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) in 2014, averaging 227,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
"Over the years we have identified hydrocarbon reserves in Oxy blocks of over 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent based on a combination of successful exploration and reservoir characterisation projects," said Swain. "To date we have cumulatively produced more than 800 million barrels of oil equivalent," he added in a recent presentation on the company's expanding operations in the Sultanate. Oxy Oman is celebrating 30 years of successful operations in the Sultanate, having emerged as the country's largest independent oil producer over this period. The company has a substantial portfolio of hydrocarbon assets in the Sultanate: it is the operator of Block 9 (65 per cent working interest), Block 27 (65 per cent working interest), Block 53 (45 per cent working interest) and Block 62 (48 per cent working interest).
A significant proportion of Oxy's production comes from the Mukhaizna heavy oilfield (Block 53) which it operates under a 30-year Production Sharing Contract signed with the Omani government in 2005.
The Mukhaizna oilfield, according to Swain, has over three billion barrels of oil in place in both heavy oil sands and fractured carbonates. Since it assumed operatorship of the field in 2005, Oxy has drilled more than 2,400 new wells, while installing extensive facilities to support its steam flood project.
"We are now the largest heavy oil steam flood in the Middle East, and we recently commenced exploration of both shallow and deeper zones in the block. We are testing the first wells as we speak, and look forward to the results," the Senior VP and General Manager said.
Another key contributor to Oxy's hydrocarbon production is Block 9, where output from the Safah and Wadi Latham fields currently averages around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), said Swain. Underpinning this output is a combination of over 1100 wells and continued exploration success building out from the main Safah discovery into multiple smaller fields that are connected to the existing production infrastructure, he added.
In adjoining Block 27, Oxy has drilled more than 67 wells to tap the hydrocarbon potential of the Khamilah field. Discovered in 2005, the field has a reserves potential of around 200 million barrels of oil equivalent in place, with output currently averaging 10,000 boepd.
In Block 62, Oxy has made headway in the development of two fields within the Discovered Non-Associated Gas (DNAG) Area. The company is moving ahead with an Extended Production Test facility targeting two key gas fields. "We are drilling development wells right now while upgrading and installing a gas plant to handle that production. We will have first gas production by the end of 2015," said Swain.
Also during the course of 2014, Oxy reported a total of eight new oil and gas discoveries that added an estimated 19 million barrels of oil equivalent to hydrocarbon reserves. Of this number, three oil finds were made in Block 9 and four in Block 27, while a gas and condensate discovery was made in Block 62. 3D seismic acquisition was also completed in Blocks 9 and 27 as well.
© Oman Daily Observer 2015
