BP Oman Says Khazzan Tight Gas Project 65% Complete
Construction work on Khazzan tight gas project in Oman is now 65 percent complete and first gas expected to flow late 2017.
“BP Oman’s work at Khazzan will make a huge contribution to Oman’s energy supply, improving both energy security and the county’s foundations for industrial diversification. This responsibility drives all of us to make sure the project delivered safely, on time and on budget. The passing of the 65 per cent completion milestone is a testament to our commitment and ability to achieve this,” Times of Oman quoted Yousulf Al Ojaili, president of BP Oman, as saying.
BP is the operator of Block 61 with a 60 percent interest and Oman Oil holds the other 40 percent.
The Khazzan reservoirs in Block 61 represent one of the Middle East’s largest unconventional tight gas accumulations, with the potential to be a major new source of gas supply for Oman over many decades. Production from Khazzan will make a significant contribution to ensuring continuing stable and long-term domestic supplies of gas for Oman. According to BP, combined plateau production from Phases 1 and 2 is expected to total approx. 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas a day (bcf/d), equivalent to around 40 percent of Oman’s current total domestic gas production.
In February, BP and Oman Oil signed a heads of agreement with the Omani government committing to amend the Oman Block 61 exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA), extending the licence area of the block and enabling a further development of the major Khazzan tight gas field.
Under the amended EPSA, the extension will add a further over 1000km2 to the south and west of the original 2,700km2 Block 61. The extension will allow a second phase of development, accessing additional resources in the area that have been identified by drilling activity within the original block. Development of this additional resource is subject to final approval of the government of Oman and of BP; both expected in 2017.
Subject to completion of the agreements and final sanction, the new Khazzan Phase 2 project will come on stream from 2020. The estimated cost for developing Phase 1 and the Phase 2 extension is around $16 billion.
The two phases are expected to produce 1.5 bcf/d through development of 10.5 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas resources. This will involve construction of a three-train central processing facility with associated gathering and export systems and drilling around 325 wells over a 15 year period. Improved reservoir performance, drilling efficiencies and other improvements have reduced the well count by around 100 wells from the original Phase 1 plan.
BP signed an agreement with the government of Oman in January 2007 for the appraisal and development of Block 61. In March 2011 BP Oman achieved a milestone with the first gas delivery to the government from its extended well test project in Block 61. This successful pilot project helped to demonstrate the potential of a much larger scale development.