OIL INDUSTRY IN KURDISTAN

Muhammad Faisal & Muhammad Nawzad

Petroleum Engineering Department

Koya University

May 10th 20141

Introduction:

Kurdistan accounts for 43.7 billion

barrels of proven oil reserves, 25.5 billion

more barrels of unproven reserves and

between 3 and 6 trillion cubic meters of gas

(30% of Iraq's proven oil reserves). If

Kurdistan was a country, the amount of oil

and gas reserves would place it among the

top 10 oil rich countries in the world.

2

Introduction (continued):

Apparently this attracted many petroleum

industry giants from all over the world. Both

service and operating (drilling) companies

exist in Kurdistan.

Drilling companies physically drill and

pump oil out of the ground. The people with

the skills and expertise to operate drilling

equipment are in high demand.

3

Introduction (continued):

But service companies assist the drilling

companies in setting up oil and gas wells.

They manufacture and repair equipment

used in oil extraction and transport.

These companies signed production

sharing contracts PSCs with the KRG, which

is a contract concerns how much oil each of

the country and the company will receive.

4

Operating Companies:

DNO is a Norwegian company entered

Kurdistan in 2004. DNO works at Tawke,

Peshkhaber, Bastora, Benanan and

Summail fields.

5

Operating Companies (continued):

Genel Energy is a Turkish company

entered KR in 2002, Genel holds seven

PSCs, and they are TaqTaq, Bina Bawi, Ber

Bahr, Tawke, Miran, Chia Surkh and Dohuk

PSCs.

6

Operating Companies (continued):

ShaMaran is a Canadian-based oil and

gas company. It is a Kurdistan-focused oil

development and exploration vehicle with

two ongoing projects in the region: the

Atrush oil discovery, and the Taza

exploration blocks.

7

Operating Companies (continued):

WesternZagros is a Canadian company

that started working in the region in 2004.

WesternZagros is working in Kurdamir and

Garmian blocks.

8

Operating Companies (continued):

Talisman Energy Inc is a Canadian

operating company. Talisman has an

interest in two blocks, Kurdamir and

Topkhana.

9

Operating Companies (continued):

Sterling Energy is a British company.

Sterling is the 53.33% operator of the

Northern Sangaw Block in Kurdistan. The

other share holders are Addax and KNOC.

They spudded the first well on February 1st

2010.

10

Operating Companies (continued):

Gulf Keystone Ltd is a British company.

In November 2007 it secured interests in two

PSCs, Shaikhan and Akri-Bijeel. In 2009 it

held two other PSCs, Sheikh Adi and Ber

Bahr.

11

Operating Companies (continued):

Marathon Oil Corporation, is an

American company. In October 2010,

Marathon acquired a position in four

exploration blocks in Kurdistan, and they are

Harir, Safeen, Atrush and Sarsang.

12

Service companies:

Oil Serv is a company specialized in

providing oilfield services to the operating

companies. This company is specialized in

Open Hole Wireline Logging, Cased Hole

Wireline Logging, Cementing, Acidizing,

Well Testing and Coiled Tubing Services.

13

Service companies (continued):

Rotary Drilling Company Ltd is a

Hungarian company. During the 80′s, Rotary

was a major well driller in the Rumaila oil

field in Southern Iraq. Today, they are

concentrating on the Kurdistan region. They

have started implementing their first rig in

March 2011.

14

Service companies (continued):

Weatherford International Ltd is one of

the largest global providers of advanced

products and services that span the drilling,

evaluation, completion, production and

intervention cycles of oil and natural gas

wells.

15

Service companies (continued):

KAR group is a local company

established in 1999 with its main

headquarters in Erbil. KAR Company

executed many projects in the field of Oil

including Khurmala Oil Field.

16

Service companies (continued):

Air Drilling Associates is a world leader

in applying air, mist, foam, aerated fluid and

other underbalanced techniques for

petroleum and geothermal drilling projects.

17

Conclusion:

It is known that Kurdistan is rich for its oil

and gas. It has estimated reserves of about

45 billion barrels of crude oil and about 3-6

trillion m3 of natural gas, and that made oil

companies from all over the globe to rush in

here to invest in Kurdistan's oil fields, and

many other are going to come in the future

and that means more job opportunities for

future generations.

18

19

20

21

22

23