Oman's First Tight Gas Project to Come Online Later This Month

Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production LLC (OOCEP), the upstream subsidiary of Oman Oil Company, is preparing to bring its Abu Butabul tight gas field in Block 60 into commercial production, reported Oman Daily Observer newspaper.

The project will be Oman’s first unconventional hydrocarbon project to become operational.

Full commercial operations are slated around October-end, Oman Daily Observer reported. Gas output is expected to reach a plateau production of 70 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) by the end of this year. Along with gas, the facility will also produce condensates averaging 6,000 barrels per day (bpd) around the same timeframe.

Block 60 is 100 percent owned and operated by OOCEP.  The concession was acquired by OOCEP in December 2010 after the previous operator, relinquished the block.

“OOCEP’s success in Block 60 has whetted our appetites to accomplish more. We want to position ourselves as pioneers in the development of unconventional fields, such as tight gas, tight oil, shale gas and heavy oil," company’s Chief Corporate Officer Sulaiman al Zakwani said.