Crude extraction from SP oil layer to reach 140,000 bpd
29 Jul 2017- Crude extraction from the oil layer of South Pars (SP) Gas Field in the southern Iranian province of Bushehr is expected to reach 120,000-140,000 barrels per day (bpd), said the deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for engineering and development affairs.
Gholamreza Manouchehri added the estimate is based on feasibility studies conducted by Denmark's Maersk in the giant gas field, Fars News Agency reported.
Commenting on the latest developments in talks between NIOC and the Danish company on developing the oil layer of the SP Gas Field, Manouchehri said Maersk had cooperated with Qatar for 20 years in the development project of the same gas field.
He added thus, the company has considerable experience in crude extraction from the gas field's oil layer.
Nevertheless, in the new tender held in Qatar to decide about the future contractor of a number of other development projects in the giant gas field — known as 'North Dome' in Qatar — the Danish firm unexpectedly lost the bid to the French energy giant Total and, currently, is not involved in any operations in the Qatari section of the gas field.
He added this has increased the Danish firm's motivation to continue its activities in the Iranian sector of the field.
Manouchehri underlined that both sides of the gas field has extremely similar characteristics, adding, "In the past, we thought that the gas field's oil layer situated in the Iranian territory is not as vast as that located in the field's Qatari sector. This is while, preliminary feasibility studies showed that the Iranian section of the field is home to a six reserves of oil layers and which lie along a vast geographical stretch. We thought that we could extract only 30,000 barrels of oil per day from the layer."
He put the present amount of crude extraction from the SP Gas Field's oil layer at 25,000 barrels per day, adding the figure is subject to periodic fluctuations due to drops in extraction pressure.
"Given the heaviness of the oil extracted from the gas field's oil layer, which stands at API19 and API20, we are faced with very quick falls in the pressure of the extraction. To resolve this problem, we are required to inject water into the layer."