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 OMAN
Arabia/Persian Gulf
Oman is a significant oil producer with a broad swathe
of productive acreage onshore near its southern coast. However, to
diversify its income and reduce dependence on oil, Oman is now
concentrating on gas exploration through an “Enhanced Gas Exploration”
programme.
A series of new field discoveries helped it to become an
LNG exporter in 2000. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), a subsidiary of
Shell, is by far the largest operator and produces most of the oil and
gas.
 Offshore: Oman has few offshore prospects. The
Musandam peninsula is a small part of Oman bordering the Straits of
Hormuz north of Ras al Khaimah. Here one offshore gas/condensate field,
Bukha, is producing offshore close to the Iranian border and adjacent to
the undeveloped Henjam field which lies across the median line in Iran.
The Bukha field was discovered by Elf in 1979 and the West Bukha field
is an extension linked to Iran’s Henjam field also discovered by Elf
prior to 1984.
It may be significantly larger than Bukha so Iran and
Oman agreed on joint development in 1997 but so far this has not
proceeded due to lack of a gas market. It is believed that with three
wells it could produce perhaps 20,000 Bbls per day of liquids and 1.2
Bcm per year of gas, tied into Bukha’s production facilities.
The rest of the northern part of Oman borders the Gulf of
Oman, which is dominated by the young deepwater Sohar basin in which
only 2 wells have been drilled. The southern part of Oman fronts the
Gulf of Aden. No discoveries have been made but one well in neighbouring
Yemen reportedly tested oil, however it is still not developed.
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