How do things currently stand in Oman's oil and gas market?
As Oman is diversifying toward more gas, the challenges become much more significant. We have seen a shift in the government, from “Give me gas" to “What can you offer from a downstream perspective." That utilization of gas will open up an additional market in the Sultanate and the region at large. On the oil side, production challenges are increasing. Most oil comes from mature fields that have been producing for a while beyond their peak, and technology is needed to boost productivity. That is where enhanced oil recovery (EOR) comes in. Production contribution from EOR projects is improving, with a potential for continuous growth in the near future. One big topic is maximizing reservoir contact area by using intelligent well placement and completions. Geosteering technologies, coupled with sub-surface insight, is a key enabler of this goal. It gives us a 3D overview of real-time drilling, enabling optimal well placement in the thinnest reservoirs and access to productive rocks to enhance recovery.
What are new ways to help achieve the Ministry of Industry's goal to produce 1 million bpd?
There are a few ways to do this. The first involves drilling more wells, which means increasing infill activities or looking for new areas to develop. The second is geosteering to maximize the recovery from existing reservoirs, which will become increasingly utilized across Oman. The third aspect of involves the productivity side. Innovative completion and stimulation technologies are increasingly used to improve productivity. We are also cognizant of mitigating major productivity impairment challenges, especially in sandstone reservoirs, due to both increased water and sand production. Another area that is pushing the production envelope is steam injection in heavy oil fields, with a lot of focus on improving the sweep efficiency of existing and future steam flood patterns.
