Hydrocarbon Reserves in Iraq

In the light of the current speed of progress in implementing the field development, production and export plans and the limitation of local capabilities, the following two scenarios of production capacity are suggested:

Option 1: Sustained production 8 MMBD, Surplus of 2 MMBD

Option 2: Sustained production 10 MMBD, Surplus of 2 MMBD

An average GOR of 700cft/B gives 5.6 and 7.0 Billion SCFD sustained gas production for the 2 options. New gas reserve from the 12 Blocks of BR-4 may be around 20TCF supporting an extra 2000 mmscfd. Deep drilling in south of Iraq will most probably increase the gas amountsthat can be exported outside Iraq whether through Nabucco pipeline or Arab pipeline.

Even with the proposed PPTs compared to the contracted, there are the following main challenges:

  1. Overall management of Iraq Oil sector
  2. Absence of effective Federal Hydrocarbon Law
  3. Implementation of the Iraqi Hydrocarbon Conservation Law
  4. Transparency in contracts and subcontracts awards and monitoring especially quality and cost issues
  5. Coordination of field, transportation and export of Oil and Gas
  6. The water Injection project
  7. Gas gathering, processing, transportation and utilization
  8. Strong army, security forces and government to maintain reasonable stability and security enough to coupe up with the level of coming hydrocarbon activities

Inquiries can be sent to the author at tuqaili@yahoo.co.uk

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