New Water Injection Facility at Rumaila

One of the most advanced water pumping facilities in Iraq has been constructed at the Rumaila oilfield to help boost oil production and support the field’s long-term strategy.

Cluster Pump Station Six (CPS-6) is the first CPS facility to be built at Rumaila for around 40 years. It is also the first CPS constructed by the Rumaila Operating Organisation (ROO), the joint venture between the Basra Oil Company (BOC), bp, PetroChina and State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO), which operates the field.

Water injection is fundamental for sustaining Rumaila’s high volumes of oil production. After almost 70 years of extracting oil, gas, and water, Rumaila’s mature reservoirs have seen pressure levels fall; injecting water into the subsurface helps to replace this lost pressure and push oil and gas to the surface. Since CPS-6 has become fully operational, 18 formerly producing wells have been reactivated and around 63,000 additional barrels of oil per day are being produced for Iraq.

ROO Deputy General Manager, Hussein Abdul Khadim Hussein, said:

Rumaila’s daily oil production has increased by around 40% under ROO’s stewardship. Key to this has been the water injection strategy, which rose from around 250 mbds in June 2010 to reach peaks exceeding 1.5 million barrels of water per day (bwpd) in 2021. CPS-6 marks a new chapter as we extend water injection to the south of the field for the first time in more than a decade and will help us to maintain high oil production for years to come.”

Cluster pump stations pressurize treated industrial water to a specified level, which is then sent for injection into water injector wells in the field. With a capacity to inject up to 320,000bwpd, CPS-6’s features include digital monitoring of the site’s key equipment and components to manage pressure levels and ensure performance is maximized from the purpose-built control room.

The site has a pumping house with five powerful Sulzer pumps, each individually capable of pressurizing up to 80,000bwpd; a manifold to direct water to 20 injector wells; 2.5 km of piping inside the facility; 75 km of supporting pipeline infrastructure outside the facility, and an office for staff.

Construction entailed more than a million hours of work, and the installation of 16,700 metres of electrical cabling, 1,721 flanges and 575 valves. Multiple logistical challenges had to be overcome in order to adapt to the pandemic and to create a COVID-safe working environment, which included erecting fences inside the compound to delineate which contractor could operate in each part of the site.

ROO General Manager, Orkhan Guliyev, said:

The full operation of CPS-6 is a major milestone in our drive to maintain oil production in the south of the field. For the past 11 years, water injection has been focused in North Rumaila – which has seen production increase by more than 150%. Safely injecting water in South Rumaila is a key part of ROO’s strategy for future success.”

Rumaila Special Deputy General Manager, Fan Jianping, added:

Work has also begun to construct a second new pumping station, CPS-7, which will further our ambitions to ensure the reservoirs in South Rumaila continue to produce effectively and efficiently.”

(Source: ROO)

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Basra Energy Company established to run Rumaila Oilfield

By John Lee.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has officially established the new Basra Energy Company (BEC), which will be the main contractor at the giant Rumaila oilfield, under a Technical Service Contract (TSC).

Representing BEC at the ceremony, Zaid Elyaseri (BP) said the field will be developed to reach a peak production of 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), up from the current level of approximately 1.45 million bpd.

Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar added that, “PetroChina and BP are the two shareholders with SOMO and Basra Oil Company (BOC).” PetroChina is a subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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Iraqi Cabinet approves BP Plan to spin off Rumaila

By John Lee.

The Iraqi cabinet has approved a plan to restructure the ownership of the giant Rumaila oilfield.

The field will be taken over by the newly-created Basra Energy Company (BEC), which in turn will be owned by BP and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

According to a statement from the Ministry of Oil, it appears that the CNPC interest will be held through the company’s subsidiary, PetroChina.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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Exxon’s $53bn Iraq deal “in Difficulty”

By John Lee.

ExxonMobil‘s giant oil project in southern Iraq is reportedly on hold.

According to Reuters, a combination of contractual difficulties and security concerns is delaying agreement on the $53-billion Southern Iraq Integrated Project, which includes the construction of a water treatment plant needed to boost oil production. The deal would have seen Exxon get the rights to develope the Nahr Bin Umar and Artawi oilfields.

Last month, Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban criticised ExxonMobil‘s decision to temporarily evacuate staff from the West Qurna oil field following an attack in the area.

More here.

(Source: Reuters)

Iraq to Increase Production at West Qurna 1

By John Lee.

Oil production is to increase at the West Qurna 1 oilfield, according to Reuters.

The news agency quoted Basra Oil Company (BOC) chief Ihsan Abdul Jabbar as saying on Wednesday that output will rise from 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd) to 490,000 bpd in the “next few days”.

The field is being developed by ExxonMobil (25%), PetroChina (25%), Itochu (15%), Pertamina (10%), Iraq’s state-owned Oil Exploration Company (25%)

(Source: Reuters)

Rumaila hit 30-yr High in Oil Production

The Rumaila oilfield produced 1.467 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2018 – the oilfield’s highest annual rate of production for 30 years. 2018 also saw the milestone of four billion barrels of oil produced since the Rumaila Operating Organisation [ROO] began operating in June 2010.

The results were reported in the 2018 Rumaila Annual Report, submitted by the Basra Oil Company (BOC) to the Iraq Ministry of Oil.

In accordance with BOC’s objectives, Rumaila continued its journey to becoming a more advanced oilfield in 2018. New infrastructure played an important part in the year’s success, with three major projects completed that help Rumaila’s capacity to produce its current high production rates, as well as contribute to securing the field’s long-term future.

The new Rumaila Power Plant began operating, providing 150,000kW of electricity to the Iraq National Grid and supporting Rumaila facilities; three new dehydrator and desalter production trains were commissioned – increasing production capacity by 124,000 bpd; and two degassing facilities installed new large-scale ‘free water knock out’ vessels that ensure oil quality remains high by stripping water from the hydrocarbons.

The introduction of new technologies continues to play a vital role in the field’s advancement. In 2018, this included: the further expansion of the ‘digital oilfield’ (with 2,000 digital sensors now providing instant data from wells, facilities and manifolds to guide production performance), the completion of a field-wide TETRA radio communications infrastructure, and new data analytics tools and frameworks that visualize, interpret and reveal meaningful insights to improve day to day working.

Underpinning the 2018 results has been the ongoing programme to drill new wells, optimize existing wells, and the injection of industrial-use water to restore pressure to reservoirs in the north of the field. Thanks to the water injection programme and its supporting operations, Rumaila has been able to produce oil from historically harder to access reservoirs: in 2018, the oil produced from the Mishrif reservoir was more than triple the amount of oil extracted from that reservoir in 2010 and generating results never previously achieved at the oilfield.

The 2018 Annual Report also highlighted:

  • 59 Iraqi contracted companies won 85 contracts worth $650 million
  • 220,181 training hours were delivered to Iraqi staff
  • 31 new wells were drilled
  • 23.5km2 of land was cleared of unexploded ordnance
  • 206,675m2 of land was remediated
  • $5 million spent on supporting Iraq’s oil and gas industry via the Rumaila Education Fund

Rumaila General Manager, Hussein Abdul-Kadhim Hussein, commented:

“2018 was a remarkable 12 months in the 70-year history of this oilfield, as well as another exceptional year for the Rumaila Operating Organisation. The partnership goes from strength to strength: our success derives from the way BOC, BP and PetroChina continues to operate as one integrated team.”

BOC Director General, Ihsan Ismael, said:

“On behalf of BOC, I’d like to thank every single BOC staff member who has ensured that Rumaila continues to deliver successful oil production for Iraq, as well as pay tribute to the support of our partners, BP and PetroChina.”

ROO Deputy General Manager, Julian O’Connell, said:

“Rumaila is in service to Iraq. Our objective is to provide oil to support Iraq today, as well as create a legacy for the future. Our strategy and programme for field rejuvenation and training Iraqi personnel is helping us to achieve these twin goals and to overcome the multitude of challenges Rumaila faces.”

Rumaila Special Deputy General Manager, Fan Jianping, added:

“We are very pleased to report another successful year at Rumaila. Equally important is the fact that we have achieved this within a safe working environment. We of course want to increase production, but we also want Rumaila to be the pride of Iraq, which can only be achieved by having safety as the number one priority.”

(Source: Rumaila Operating Organisation)

Iraq “close to signing” $53bn deal with Exxon, PetroChina

By John Lee.

At its regular meeting in Baghdad on Tuesday, the Iraqi Cabinet received a briefing on negotiations led by Iraq’s Ministry of Oil with ExxonMobil and PetroChina on the Southern Iraq Integrated Project.

In a statement, the government describes the project as “a mega energy and infrastructure scheme consisting of building oil pipelines, storage facilities and a seawater supply project to inject water from the Gulf into reservoirs to increase oil production and Iraq’s export capacity.”

According to Reuters, Iraq is close to signing the $53-billion, 30-year agreement, from which it expects to make $400 billion over the life of the project.

It quotes the Prime Minister as saying that it will involve increasing production at the Nahr Bin Umar and Artawi oilfields from around 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) now to 500,000 bpd.

(Sources: Iraqi Cabinet, Reuters)

Amarinth secures order for Pumps at Rumaila

UK-based Amarinth has secured its first order from Iraq Gates Contracting Company (IGCC) for $410K of API 610 OH1 pumps on 22-weeks FCA delivery for the Rumaila oil field, Iraq.

This first order for Amarinth from Iraq Gates Contracting Company (IGCC) of $410K is for ten API 610 OH1 condensate transfer pumps with Plan 11 and Plan 52 double seals and seal support systems.

The pumps are destined for the Rumaila oil field, a super-giant oil field located 50km to the west of the city of Basra, southern Iraq. The Rumaila field is estimated to contain 17 billion barrels, the largest oil field ever discovered in Iraq and considered the third largest oil field in the world. It is managed by the Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO), a joint venture between BOC, BP, PetroChina and SOMO.

IGCC approached Amarinth for the ten identical API 610 OH1 pumps as they were required on an extremely short lead time of 22-weeks Free Carriage Aboard (FCA) from the sea-port in the UK.

This is the sort of challenge that Amarinth has successfully delivered against many times in the past for Middle East oil and gas companies and will leave Amarinth just 20 weeks for the design, manufacture and testing of the pumps and seal support systems, including full documentation and NACE certification for all process wetted parts.

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director of Amarinth, commented:

This latest order from Iraq underlines our on-going commitment and investment in the region and we are delighted that IGCC approached us to supply these pumps recognising that we were the only manufacturer that could deliver bespoke API 610 pumps in the lead time they required.

“In fact, we are seeing that many of the new projects in the Middle East need API 610 pumps on very short lead times as operators start to increase production again, which Amarinth are in a very good position to fulfil.

(Source: Amarinth)

ExxonMobil, PetroChina “Agree Terms” on South Integrated Project

By John Lee.

According to a report from Platts, Iraq has reached “key preliminary terms” with ExxonMobil and PetroChina on the South Integrated Project.

The project involves the development of the Nahr Bin Umar and Ratawi oil fields in southern Iraq, with gas plants at the two fields, a multi-field water injection project, storage, pipelines and export infrastructure.

Abdul Mahdi al-Ameedi, director general of the Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD), told S&P Global Platts that the scope of work, the schedule, and the cost have been agreed to.

More details here.

(Source: Platts)

235-MW Rumaila Power Station Opened

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] has officially opened the Rumaila power station.

The construction of the 235 MW plant was supervised by the China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC), the engineering and construction subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The Minister said the project is considered as one of the largest projects organized by the Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO), which includes Basrah Oil Company (BOC), BP and PetroChina.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)