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Plans to increase Kirkuk Oil Output to 1m bpd

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi, Luiebi] (pictured) has said that Iraq plans to increase oil production at the Kirkuk oilfields to one million barrels per day.

According to Reuters, exports from Kirkuk have been on hold since Iraqi forces took back control of them from the Kurds last month.

At least three months will be needed to repair the old pipeline to Ceyhan port in Turkey. The main 600,000 bpd Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline had been offline since March 2014 following insurgent attacks.

(Source: Reuters)

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DNO Flows Peshkabir-3 Well

DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced flow rates of more than 3,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) from the first zone tested in the Peshkabir-3 well in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Nine other oil zones and one gas zone have been identified for testing in a 1.2 kilometer horizontal section of Cretaceous and Jurassic reservoir.

The Company has fast tracked the development of the field and an early production facility will be commissioned by year-end. The previously drilled Peshkabir-2 well has produced at a steady rate of 4,700 bopd since May and comingled with over 100,000 bopd from the adjacent Tawke field for export. DNO’s operations in Kurdistan continue uninterrupted.

DNO is the most active driller in Kurdistan with three rigs deployed and 15 wells in 2017 across three operated fields in various stages of production, development and appraisal. Most recently, the Company spud the Hawler-1A multilateral well in October to appraise the Benenan heavy oil field in the Erbil license.

The Company has received year-to-date export payments totaling USD 297 million net to DNO, up from USD 210 million during the full-year 2016. With continuing export payments, DNO will step up investments in Kurdistan in 2018.

The Company today released its third quarter operating and financial update, reporting an operating profit of USD 469 million during the quarter. This follows recognition of USD 556 million as other income following the receivables settlement agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government in August 2017.

Pursuant to the agreement, DNO was assigned an additional 20 percent in the Tawke license, bringing the Company’s operated stake to 75 percent. Partner Genel Energy plc holds the remaining 25 percent interest.

DNO’s cash balance stood at USD 399 million at the end of the third quarter, up from USD 261 million at end-2016. With the strengthening of its balance sheet, the Company’s equity ratio has increased to 60 percent.

(Source: DNO)

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Gazprom Neft not to Cut Production at Badra

By John Lee.

Russia’s Gazprom Neft has said it expects production at the Badra oilfield to stay between 85,000 and 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2018.

Deputy chief executive Vadim Yakovlev (pictured) told Reuters that Baghdad has not asked the company to curtail production, despite reports that the Oil Ministry had asked foreign producers to cut investment to reduce the cash-strapped government’s contribution in shared ventures.

Yakovlev added that production at Badra is expected to plateau as high as 110,000 bpd in the future.

(Source: Reuters)

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GKP Confirms Shaikan Operating Securely

Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) confirmed on Friday morning that its operations in Kurdistan continue safely and securely with the Company achieving average production of 34,525 bopd from Shaikan since the beginning of October 2017.

Shaikan is performing as expected with cumulative production from the field now at 42.4 million barrels, an average of 35,966 bopd in 2017. The Company is on track to meet gross production guidance of 32,000-38,000 bopd for the year.

In line with the Ministry of Natural Resource’s crude export strategy, Shaikan crude production is still being exported via trucks to Turkey. Trucking operations continue uninterrupted with approximately 200 trucks loaded daily.

Following the recent payment for the October 2017 Reinstated Notes coupon of $5 million, the Company’s current cash position is $147.2 million.

Gulf Keystone will keep the market appraised of any changes to its normal operations.

Commenting on today’s announcement, CEO, Jón Ferrier, said:

“We remain committed to ensuring safe and secure operations in Kurdistan, and we continue to monitor the geo-political situation closely. Despite the challenges facing the region, we are maintaining stable operations.”

(Source: Gulf Keystone)

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Genel Energy Updates on Kurdistan Operations

Genel Energy has issued a trading and operations update for Q3 2017. The information has not been audited and may be subject to further review.

Murat Özgül (pictured), Chief Executive of Genel, said:

“During the quarter Genel executed a landmark settlement agreement with the KRG over historical receivables, which we expect to materially enhance our cash flows going forward. Ahead of those payments commencing we continued to generate meaningful free cash flow, resulting in a further 13% reduction in net debt during the period.

“Our operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are progressing as normal – exports are continuing from Taq Taq and Tawke, payments are being received on time, and operations are proceeding at both fields, with testing now underway on the TT-29w well.“

Q3 2017 OPERATING PERFORMANCE

  • Q3 2017 net production averaged 33,810 bopd, with production for the nine months ending September 2017 averaging 36,030 bopd
  • Production and sales by field during Q3 2017 were as follows:

  • Tawke PSC (Genel 25% working interest)
    • Tawke PSC production in Q3 averaged 110,460 bopd, including long-term test production from the Peshkabir-2 well of 4,670 bopd.
    • In 2017 to date, the Tawke partners have drilled ten wells, including the Peshkabir-2 and 3 wells, four Cretaceous producers, three Jeribe producers and a Jeribe water injector
    • A further four development wells are planned on the Tawke PSC by year-end 2017 – two Cretaceous producers, one Jeribe producer and a Jeribe water disposal well
    • Peshkabir-3 well operations are ongoing, with results expected later in Q4. The Peshkabir early production facility remains on track to be installed by the end of 2017
  • Taq Taq PSC (Genel 44% working interest)
    • Taq Taq field production in Q3 averaged 14,080 bopd, and production has averaged 13,570 bopd during October 2017 to date
    • The TT-29w well, which is appraising the northern end of the Taq Taq field, reached target depth of 3,100 metres in early September 2017. A testing programme is now underway. Further development of the Cretaceous reservoir has been deferred pending results of the TT-29w testing programme
    • The EDC-24 rig has moved to the TT-30 well location, with two shallow horizontal wells set to be drilled in the Pilaspi reservoir before the end of the year
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Baghdad warns Erbil not to Shut Down Kirkuk Oil

By John Lee.

Iraq is reportedly considering using security forces to prevent Kurdistan from blocking oil output from Kirkuk.

A spokesman for the North Oil Company (NOC) told Reuters that Kurdish officials indicated that they would shut down production at the Kirkuk oilfield, ostensibly for security reasons, but as a means of putting pressure on Baghdad.

Kirkuk produces around 200,000 barrels per day, out of total Kurdish production of over 600,000 bpd.

More from Reuters here.

(Source: Reuters)

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Taq Taq September Production Below Average

By John Lee.

Genel Energy has announced that production at its Taq Taq field in Iraqi Kurdistan, in which it has a 44 percent working interest, averaged 13,475 barrels per day in September.

This is considerably below the 2017 year-to-date average of 19,398 barrels per day.

(Source: Genel Energy)