Iraq Targets Higher Rumaila Output

Iraq is planning to increase production from the giant Rumaila Oilfield to about 1.5 million barrels per day in 2018, the head of Rumaila operations said. Rumaila Oilfield, developed by Britain’s BP and Chinese partner CNPC, now produces about 1.45 million bpd, Mohammed Hassan told Reuters late on Tuesday. “Our plan for 2018 is to boost production by around 50,000 barrels per day after increasing water injection operations and starting new energy installations at Rumaila,” said Hassan. One of the two new 48-inch pipelines used to bring water from a nearby water injection facility will become operational in early 2018, helping raise the amount of water for injection to 1.3 million bpd next year. "BP operates Garmat Ali water facility near Basra, which now produces 1.25 million bpd of treated water used for injecting oil wells," he said. Hassan said once Rumaila development plan for 2018 was approved by the Oil Ministry, BP would start drilling about 50 new oil wells to help boost production.