Russian Gasprom Expects Oil Exports By 2013

WASSIT / IraqiNews.com: Russian Gasprom working in Wassit province expects to export first oil shipments by mid of 2013. The international consortium that won the contract for developing Badra oil field, 80 km east of the province, expects to start extraction and exports with a capacity of 15 thousand b/d. Head of the consortium Alexander Kolmatisky announced that future production will be increased to 170 thousand b/d for the coming seven years. But, the main problem for this oil field is the problem of mines available on 165 square kilometers. Part of the problem was solved by an Iraqi company specialized in mines lifting, but still more to expect. Badra oil field lies near the Iraqi-Iranian borders. Some of its parts are within these mine fields. Its reserves of oil are expected to reach 1,5 billion cubic meters of gas. Russian Gasprom owns 40% of the project, while the Turkish company TPO has 10% , Kogas 30% and Malaysian Petronas 20%.  Two Iraqi companies are cooperating with them, the first for mines lifting and the second for 3 D seismological surveys. The 4-company consortium is expecting drilling in the field by the next year. Kolmatisky declared that the consortium will drill 17 wells, including Badra 1, which was discovered in 1977. The Russian company is planning to build a housing complex for about 400 persons, to be finished by the end of this year.  Wassit local government continuously urges the consortium to expedite their work to benefit from the petro-dollar project made by the Iraqi government to the local authorities for producing oil and gas. Badra oil field contract was signed on 24 September 2009, which is the second to be exploited in the province following Al-Ahdab oil field by the national Chinese oil company, which drilled 50 wells with first production to be by the end of next July to produce 60 thousand b/d. Iraq, member of OPEC, with the third world oil reserves, produces, now, about 2.5 million b/d. RM (TI)/SR 617