(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Maersk Oil and Qatar Petroleum (QP) have reached the phenomenal production landmark of one billion barrels from the Al Shaheen field in Qatar, a senior official of the Danish company told The Peninisula yesterday.
When other oil companies shunned the field as uneconomical, Maersk Oil saw opportunities to unlock the tight reservoir, Maersk Oil CEO Jakob Thomason.
Since taking over and developing the field in 1992 to first oil in 1994, the production curve has increased steadily to the current level of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) whilst reducing gas flaring to a minimum.
This is a very difficult reservoir that was thought to be impossible to produce oil from, said Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah. Original estimates were that the field would produce no more than 50,000 barrels per day, even in the best conditions.
Yet due to Maersk Oils expertise in developing marginal reservoirs, today the Al Shaheen reservoirs form one third of Qatars total oil production, as the countrys largest oil producer.
The latest 6bn field development of Al Shaheen includes the installation of 15 new platforms, 163 new production and water injection wells and 140,000 tonnes of new facilities. During the comprehensive installation work, Maersk Oil managed a production uptime of over 99 percent without compromising safety whilst reducing gas flaring to a minimum.
This is a great accomplishment that emphasizes how efficiently this field has been operated and is a fine example of what an international oil company and a national oil company can accomplish when they work together, said Director of Oil and Gas Ventures at QP, Saad Al Kaabi.
Maersk Oil CEO Jakob Thomason said that it was a matter of pride the fact that together with QP this challenging field has been turned into a commercial success within such a short time frame. It is a significant achievement which has only been possible due to our strong technical skills, innovative mindset and commitment, he said.
The Al Shaheen field has also provided unique employment opportunities in Qatar, as one of the worlds most complex offshore development plans.
Maersk Oil in Qatar currently employs 130 Qatari nationals as part of its international team of technical experts and managers. Maersk Oil is also an active partner and contributor to Qatar Science and Technology Park, where it will engage in research on improved and enhanced oil recovery as well as studies related to the environmental impact of offshore operations.
Our relationship with Qatar is much more than a production sharing agreement, said Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Maersk Oil Qatar Acting General Manager. It is founded on the vision of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to maximise the recovery of oil while providing sustainable long-term benefits to the Qatari people.
