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Abu Dhabi plans new oil field development

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ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi Satah Al Razboot oil field development will start production by 2016, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has devised a plan to soar its daily output.

Published: Thu 1 Sep 2011, 10:36 PM

Updated: Wed 18 Jan 2023, 4:15 PM

  • By
  • Haseeb Haider

Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company or ADMA-OPCO, one of the world’s largest offshore oil company set the Satah Al Razboot or SARB project team in 2010 and awarded the front end engineering design, which will be completed in the middle of the year.

ADMA-OPCO produces 550,000 barrels per day or bpd of oil crude out of Abu Dhabi’s 2.7 million bpd production.


Abu Dhabi is implementing a long term plan to ramp-up its daily output by 800,000 barrels per day to 3.5 bpd by 2018. A major chunk of new oil will be contributed by ADMA-OPCO, which has developed the Satah Al Razboot Oil field scheme by building two artificial islands for drilling will transport the crude through subsea pipelines to a new facility to be built on Zirku Island for processing, storage and export of oil, says the ADMA-OPCO’s annual report for 2010.

The new field development Umm Lulu will be completed by 2016, with NASR full field development in 2017, as per the 2011 business plan. Phase one of Umm Lulu will be will be operational by 2013, it further said.


In June, offshore construction works for Zakum Water Injection Upgrade project began at Zakum Central Super Complex. The project, which will be completed in by June 2012, is part of 100,000 bpd programme to increase oil production from Lower Zakum, says ADMA-OPCO magazine’s latest issue.

ADMC-OPCO is also studying an option to export crude through Jabbel Al Dhanna, which will also handle the Umm Lulu Injection requirements for the Field production of 105,000 barrel per day in addition to the Gas and water Injection requirements for the Field, the report said.

ADNOC is scheduled to complete the artificial islands construction by 2012. The layout of the falcon shaped islands has been finalized and an optimum well location for drilling and SIMOPS 1- and 42 wells from 
the SARB-2.

A combined oil and gas pipeline option has been adopted and two 26 inch combined fully rated oil and gas pipelines-one from each island SARB1-2 to Zirku Island have been selected.

The start up of drilling by a new onshore rig suitable for extended reach drilling is targeted for August 2013 from SARB and by January 2014 for SARB-2, the annual report said. Meanwhile, the oil company has completed the design of the Umm Shaif US Khuff Gas producers along with the ML-TBS feasibility study for Well US 51.6/48.4 Dual Gas Injection Well US 54.8/41.6.

On the Zakum Field Development’s Thamama reservoir, a specialized CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery study was jointly started between ADMA-OPCO and JODCO. As part of ADMA-OPCO’s medium term plan, Lower Zakum Reservoirs, which is one of the world’s largest offshore oil fields, located 55 kilometres south-east of Umm Shaif oil fields, will contribute 25 per cent of the production capacity enhancement plan, according to Adma-Opco 
annual report.

Thamama’s IV, V reservoirs will be upgraded in order to reach 425,000 barrel per day by 2015. UMM SHAIF: Located 155 kilometres north-west of the capital, the Umm Shaif Field Development continued with its short, medium and long term business objectives and accelerated the development of Araej reservoir as part of integration of strategy between Arab and Undeveloped Reservoirs, to add 20,000-25,000 barrel per day. On Khuff Reservoir, a Gas Deliverability Assurance study was conducted to provide 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of gas production starting 2013 for Abu Dhabi onshore gas supply, the report said.

Adnoc which represents Abu Dhabi holds 60 per cent shares in Adma-Opco, while BP owns 14.25 per cent, Total 13.75 per cent and the remaining 12 per cent stake is owned by Japan’s Jodco. The UAE has the world’s seventh largest proven oil reserves and sixth largest gas reserves, with Abu Dhabi containing 98.2 billion barrel of oil or nine per cent of the world’s total and 5.8 trillion cubic meters of gas or five per cent of the world’s total.

· —haseeb@khaleejtimes.com



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