Lukoil has started drilling production wells in the second phase of development of West Qurna-2 oil field in southern Iraq.
It has signed contracts for the drilling of 54 wells targeting the Late Cretaceous Mishrif formation and 3 wells targeting the Early Cretaceous Yamama.
The work will increase West Qurna-2 production to 480,000 b/d in 2020 from 400,000 b/d at present. Lukoil says it’s using a cluster drilling approach new to Iraq.
Under a revised development plan Lukoil signed with state-owned Basra Oil Co. last year, West Qurna-2 output is to reach a plateau of 800,000 b/d in 2025. Plateau production under the original service contract was to have been 1.2 million b/d (OGJ Online, May 11, 2018).
