Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazpromneft-Badra has begun shipping granulated sulphur from its Badra oilfield in Iraq – the gas infrastructure installed by the enterprise has made it possible not just to diversify production, but also increase associated petroleum gas (APG) to 98 per cent
The pilot shipment, delivered by order of the Iraqi client “Ard as-Sakhlya”, totalled 1,000 tonnes and was shipped out of the field with the assistance of 40,000 tonnes of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) over a period of one week.
Gazpromneft-Badra is now preparing to ship its next shipment of more than 3,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur to another business in Iraq.
Gazpromneft-Badra has managed commercial production at this asset for a period of five years, during which time total cumulative production has reached 100 mmbbl. The business has produced more than 2.1mn tonnes (15.6 mmbbl) of liquid hydrocarbons since early 2019. Shipments of granulated sulphur from Badra commenced this year.
Production is undertaken through sulphur production and granulation plants with a capacity of 110,000 and 136,000 tonnes per year, respectively, both of which form part of the 1.6 bcm per year capacity gas plant at the Badra field.
The technological process of producing granulated-sulphur production is automated throughout all key stages, from the intake of raw materials to packaging of finished products. Gazpromneft-Badra has, already, produced more than 72,000 tonnes of sulphur (now in storage), which is expected to be shipped to Iraqi customers as orders are received.
Vadim Yakovlev, first deputy CEO, Gazprom Neft, commented, “We have, in Badra, created a modern industrial complex, unique in the variety of its output, producing not only oil and gas but also granulated sulphur and electricity. Cutting-edge technological solutions have allowed us to monetise all hydrocarbons produced, as well as ensuring optimum environmental friendliness on this project, increasing APG utilisation to more than 98 per cent."
