PHOTO
A general view shows an oil rig used in drilling at the Zubair oilfield in Basra, Iraq, July 5, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani Image used for illustrative purpose.
OPEC member Iraq will start a new oilfield production within 18 months, more than 3 years ahead of schedule, an oil official has said.
Development of Khana field in the Northeastern Diyala Governorate began in late 2024 and was scheduled to be completed within five years.
Iraq’s Midland Oil Company has managed to cut the original timeframe for the development of the massive field by more than three years, the company’s Director General, Mohammed Yassin Hassan said at the weekend.
During a visit to the oil site, where he met with the head of the Chinese operator Geo-Jade Petroleum, Hassan unveiled what he described as “an ambitious plan to commence oil production from the exploration blocks within just 18 months, significantly reducing the originally planned five-year timeline.”
He attributed the accelerated progress to effective collaboration between the company's Diyala fields division, the joint management team, and technical committees working alongside the field’s operator.
“Khana field spans over nearly 2,250 square kilometres, covering about 40 percent of Baghdad’s area,” Hassan said, adding that the company had completed 2D seismic surveys and was nearing the completion of 3D seismic studies.
The operator is currently in the process of awarding key contracts, including drilling operations, facility rehabilitation, and the installation of an early operations centre, in addition to laying oil and gas export pipelines to nearby sources, he added.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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