Norwegian firm digging oil wells in Iraq despite violence

 

By Mohammed Hameed

 

Azzaman, September 20, 2006

 

A Norwegian firm is extracting crude oil from two wells it dug up in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

 

A team from Norsk Hydro, one of Norway’s largest oil companies, is the first western oil firm to venture into the violence-ridden country.

 

Oil has been flowing from the massive Kirkuk oil fields for decades and many of the wells are thought to be depleting.

 

International experts say even the field itself has reached its peak a long time ago and the digging of new wells might fail to raise output substantially.

 

However, Iraqi geologists maintain that the peak has not been reached yet and the gigantic field, which used to produce up to 1.5 million barrels a day in the 1970s, has the potential to up output to similar rates.

 

Prior to the 2003 U.S. invasion, Kirkuk fields churned out nearly 800,000 barrels a day.

 

The Norwegian firm has so for met with little success as the two wells it has dug produce maximum 10,000 barrels a day.

 

The amount might be viewed as promising, but it is not that encouraging for a field where wells are known to be among the most prolific in the world, with some producing up to 100,000 barrels a day.

 

Even the Norwegian experts are astonished with the low level output.

 

One expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “we have not had decisive results so far.”

 

He said perhaps the diggers will have to reach higher depths or “the wells have been partially damaged through misuse.”

 

The Norwegians are set to continue digging new wells in the hope of higher production rates.