Omani state drilling firm Abraj Energy, a subsidiary of state energy firm OQ, held a signing ceremony on 14 May for a drilling contract with BP in Block 61 (BP 40%, OQEP 30%, PTTEP 20%, Petronas 10%). The block is home to the 1.5bn cfd Khazzan/Ghazeer gas development which provides roughly one third of Oman’s gas output.
On 4 May, Abraj disclosed to the Muscat Stock Exchange that BP awarded it a three-year drilling contract at the block, extendable by two years, with operations planned to start in 4Q 2025. The contract is estimated to be worth around OR14mn ($36mn). Drilling activity at the block is likely to pick up in future as BP is updating its field development plan, according to partner OQ Exploration & Production (MEES, 7 March). It is looking to add up to 2tcf to the 10.5tcf resource base with increased output earmarked for a potential new LNG train at Sur. (CONTINUED - 148 WORDS)