1. Oil and Gas Exploration
In Iraq:
Achievements
and
Prospects
Salem J.RAZOKY Imad F. El BIR
Geophysical Expert & Geological Expert
Oil Exploration Co.(OEC),Iraq
Baghdad March 2005

2. Historical DevelopmentH
  : 1st exploration well in Chia Surkh
structure .1st oil discovery in Oligocene
marl.
1927 : Grand discovery of oil in Kirkuk
super giant field.
1938 : Exploration activities terminated
because of the war preparation.

3.   1948 : Commencing exploration again by
IOCs using seismic methods, mainly in
the South:
-Zubair and Nahr Umr oil fields in 1948
-Rumaila oil field in 1953
1961 : Termination of exploration activities
by IOCs according to law No.80

4. 1964 : Iraq National Oil Co. (INOC)
established.
 1970 : 1st national seismic party.
1973 : W.Qurna super giant oil field
discovered.
followed by many other oil discoveries in
the1970s and 1980s,

5. -Majnoon, E.Baghdad , Halfaya, Nasiriya,
- Greater Nahr Umr .
1982 : (12) seismic parties owned by INOC
and (11) contracted foreign seismic crews.
  : 3D party.
  s : Only two or three national seismic
parties operational .

6. 1992 : Discovery of Akkas gas field in the
western desert.
2003 : All operating seismic parties
destroyed and/ or looted.

7. Main Exploration StatisticsM
  Seismic surveys : 233k lin-kms of 2D lines
and 3D surveys in two areas: Balad and
Kifl.
204 exploration wells , ,in 124
strucures (136 domes) :

8. - - 96 wells by IOCs, in 63 Structures.
-108 wells by National efforts after 1961
in 61 structures.
m T.D. of the deepest well in Iraq,
WK – 1 in 1987 penetrating Butmah
Formation in Lower Jurassic.

9. (73 +) fields discovered - 64 oil fields (10 super giants , 12 giants,
9 very large and 33 others )
- 9 gas fields
  23 producing fields

10. d and ResultsAchievements
IPC , MPC and BPC discovered some (34)
billion barrels of proven recoverable
reserves until
National exploration activities discovered
more than 100 billion barrels of additional
proven oil reserves, making Iraq second
only to

11.   Saudia Arabia, with a total of about 115
billion barrels of proven oil reserves, 214
billion barrels of possible oil reserves,
and the important gas discovery in Akkas
field in the western desert.

12.    These proven oil reserves are :
- about 72% from Cretaceous reservoirs.
  about 20% from Tertiary reservoirs
  The rest are from Jurassic and Triassic
reservoirs.
In addition , the exploration activities
indicated the presence of (3080) BCM of
proven gas reserves with about (9250)

13. These proven oil and gas reserves are located
in some (73) oil and gas fields:
  oil fields
~ 10 super giant fields “each with more
than five billion barrels of
recoverable oil reserves",

14. ~ 12 giant fields “each with recoverable
oil reserves between one and five
billion barrels" ,
~ 9 very large fields " each with
recoverable oil reserves between
0.5 to 1 billion barrels ",and
~ 33 fields of different sizes).
- 9 gas fields.

15. The highest daily production rates
achieved until 2004 was 3.5 MBPD oil
in 1979 and (1500) BCFPD gas in 1990
due to the abnormal circumstances in
the last 25 years.
Strangely enough , Iraq is the least
explored country in the region with an
average of less than one exploration well
per 2000 square kilometers.

16. Expectations and ProspectsE
  Many internal studies in the last (15) years
indicated the possibility of producing up to
6 MBPD while some experts envisaged
higher rates; i.e.,
- 8 MBPD
- or even 10 MBPD and more.

17. With (543) known structures and important
structural anomalies and
- when only (136) of them are tapped
- while more than 400 structures and
hundreds of stratigraphic anomalies
are not yet drilled ,

18. - The expectation of new discoveries is very
high, especially when deep reservoirs in the
10 super giant , 12 giant and 9 very large
fields have not been explored taking into
consideration the presence of important
proven reserves in similar or equivalent
deep formations in the surrounding Gulf
countries.

19. With some 50 plus oil and gas fields
already discovered , yet not delineated
and / or developed , we expect important
improvements in their reserves and in the
overall daily production when they would
be put on stream.
  With the important Paleozoic gas discovery
in Akkas, the first structure drilled in the

20. Western desert , we expect additional important
discoveries in that region where we have many important structures.
We also expect to discover gas in many more
important northeastern structures where gas
has already been discovered in several
structures.

21.    Oil and / or gas and condensates are
expected to be discovered in many of the
other important structures, structural
anomalies and many stratigraphic
anomalies in other parts of Iraq,
The increase in the proven reserves and
daily production of both oil and gas is
very highly possible.

22. If and when these activities are executed
with all other supporting activities,
including those related to the necessary
infra- structure, Iraq's Status in the
International Petroleum Industry could
advance from its position prevailing now
as having 2nd highest oil reserves and its
abnormal rather low daily production.