BP's Oman Project on Course for 2017 Gas

UK major BP has just drilled and completed its 50th well at Oman's Khazzan gas field in Block 61. This is the final well targeted for completion enabling first gas to be delivered later this year. It will be one of BP's seven key projects for 2017. Others are this week's start up of the revamped Schiehallion field in the UK; last month's start up of onshore compression in Trinidad & Tobago; and the Eni-operated Egyptian Zohr field due in the fourth quarter.

These first 50 wells at Khazzan will enable production of 1bn ft³/day from first gas onwards, delivered to the Sultanate of Oman. This will rise to 1.5bn ft³/d once the second phase of the Khazzan project is fully up and running in 2020. A total of over 300 wells will be drilled over the estimated lifetime of the Khazzan project.  

The Khazzan gas reserves lie at depths of up to 5 km in narrow bands of extremely hard, dense rock. These complex and challenging conditions require specialist cutting and drilling equipment, the drilling of both vertical and horizontal wells, stimulation technologies to free the gas, as well as accuracy and efficiency. Omani firms have won drilling contracts valued at 85% of the total spend at Khazzan and 60% of overall well services contracts.

Paul Forman, BP's head of wells in Oman (LinkedIn)

Greater efficiencies have shortened the average time to drill and complete a vertical well by 27%. A record time of 60 days was recently achieved for completion of one well, BP said.

William Powell