Gazpromneft Middle East has commissioned a fourth well at the Sarqala field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)
Having recorded an initial flow rate of approximately 1,500 tonnes (11,500 barrels) per day, the launch of this new well takes daily production at the field to more than 4,300 tonnes or 33,000 barrels. Once fully operational, daily production at the field is expected to increase by 33 percent.
The Sarqala-4 well runs to 4.1 km in depth. Drilling was undertaken in low-permeability carbonate rock, with high strata temperature. Seismic works, geophysical and hydrodynamic investigations and digital core analysis were undertaken by Gazpromneft Middle East to eliminate geological uncertainties.
In a first for Gazprom Neft, well construction was undertaken under high reservoir pressure — of about 1,000 atmospheres — demanding the use of high-tech equipment, large-diameter pipes, extra-heavy drilling and cementing slurry, and a range of non-standard technical solutions. Drilling of this new well was undertaken by an international team, involving specialists from 20 countries.
“One of the key features of this field is its abnormally high reservoir pressure. We come up against similar difficulties in developing hard-to-recover reserves in Russia — at Achimovsky strata, for example. So experience gained in Kurdistan will be useful to our projects in other regions. We’ve done a lot of work in field investigations at Sarqala, drilling four wells and increasing production. Our plans now include further geological assessments, including on the basis of drilling data from the Sarqala-4 well. Based on those results, we will take a decision as to the next stage of the production programme on this project.”
Vadim Yakovlev Deputy CEO for Exploration and Production, Gazprom Neft
“Commissioning this new well will allow us to increase — and maintain — production at the Sarqala field. Drilling it has required us to overcome a whole range of challenges — all related to the extremely challenging geology at this block. The successful implementation of this project is down to synergising Gazprom Neft’s competencies in developing hard-to-recover reserves with the expertise of an international team of specialists. The experience we have gained will help us in further developing our project in Kurdistan.”
Sergei Petrov Director General, Gazpromneft Middle East
The Sarqala field forms part of the Garmian license block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). It is being developed by Gazprom Neft Middle East — a joint venture in which Gazprom Neft holds at 40% interest, the Kurdistan Regional Government 20%, and Canada’s WesternZagros 40%. Gazprom Neft has been Operator on the project since 2016. First oil was obtained at the Garmian block in 2011. Commercial shipments started in 2015.
