Oman’s major oil exploration and production company Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has achieved significant progress in developing the Bahja-Rima cluster oilfield, thus targeting to reach production capacity of 94,000 bpd by 2021
According to an annual report by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), the Bahja-Rima oilfield currently has more than seven billion barrels of oil in place, and is expecting to record a production growth rate of 45 per cent to reach the target.
The report noted, “Considerable developments have been made in the Bahja North and South fields, which contain oil-in-place in excess of 1.7 bbo.”
The report further mentioned that the Ghaba North in the Qarn Alam cluster project has started producing oil and is scheduled to reach its peak during 2017, with the field recovery expecting to grow by 20 per cent to reach reserve volume of about 38mmbbl.
CBO reported that the PDO surpassed its target production of 550,000 bpd in 2016 by producing 600,200 bpd, compared to 588,900 bpd in 2015. The company aims to enhance exploration from both the conventional and unconventional oil and gas fields.
The two other major oil exploration and production companies in the Sultanate are CC Energy and Occidental Oman (Mukhaizna).
The crude oil production in the Sultanate rose by 2.6 per cent in 2016 with an average production of 1,004,300 bpd, up from 908,900 bpd in 2015. In 2016, Oman’s oil exploration companies drilled 53 exploration wells to boost up the production of oil and gas in the country.
Some of the major discoveries in 2016 oil exploration drill were observed in the Lekhwair field, where 40 mmbbl of commercial contingent resources were booked, and the Qarn Alam-Reba project, where 27 mmbbl of commercial contingent resources were booked.
The Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production (OOCEP) drilled four exploration wells in 2016, with the remaining companies drilling 14 wells. The total oil and condensate reserves in Oman were estimated to be 5,242.5 mmbbl in 2016, which reflected a decline of 2.4 per cent from the estimated level in 2015.
