Kurdistan steps up efforts to eliminate gas flaring

The Kurdistan Ministry of Natural Resources ("MNR") has asked the Shaikan field partners (Gulf Keystone and MOL) to re-submit a revised FDP for the field to address additional MNR requests on gas management.

The next well planned on the field will now be used to assess the feasibility of gas reinjection into the Jurassic formation, rather than as an originally planned Jurassic production well.

Whilst a key driver to be reservoir management and ultimate recovery rates, it is noted that the MNR is keen to eliminate flaring in Kurdistan.

Gulf Keystone has previously stated that the elimination of gas flaring is the single most complex and expensive component of the field’s development, and additional gas-handling capacity would be required to handle the gas-rich light oil in the underlying Triassic reservoir.

At nearby DNO’s Tawke field, work is scheduled to begin later this year on building the gas-gathering and processing facilities to enable reinjection of Peshkabir’s associated gas into the Tawke field, to reduce flaring and increase the latter recoverable reserves; this gas-gathering and injection system is forecast to be operational in early 2020.