Kuwait oil company starts 3-D seismic survey of al-Abdali farms

Head of Kuwait Oil Company's Exploration Department Ahmad Al-Eidan announced Sunday the start of the 3-D seismic survey of Abdali farms area to explore for oil and gas reservoirs. In a press statement, Al-Eidan stated that the survey is a part a mega project to explore for the energy resources in northern areas of Kuwait in a total area of 4650 sq km or about 25 percent of the country's land. "The survey of Al-Abdali farms is considered an important phase of the project though it covers only an area estimated at 300 sq km or 5.6 percent of the total project area," he said. He explained that farms include populated and agricultural areas and both are considered major challenges for any seismic survey in the world. "Approximately 20 percent of ranchers refuse to allow the company teams to carry out the seismic survey to their ranches, but intensive efforts are exerted to persuade them," he said. Al-Eidan revealed that the company studies a proposal to move to another area till efforts to persuade the ranchers make breakthrough. He urged ranchers and citizenry in Al-Abdali farms to cooperate with the survey teams to the higher interests of the state. He pointed out that the 3-D survey project, the biggest of its kind in the world, aims to provide accurate data about oil and gas resources in the northern areas of Kuwait. "The project is designed to explore non-conventional deep Jurassic and Permian reservoirs, whose depth is estimated at 15,000-20,000 feet respectively, as well as to provide precise data about Cretaceous reservoirs. It is also meant to materialize the goals of the state's energy strategy for 2020 and 2030," he said. He unveiled that KOC teams use the state-of-the-art technology to conduct the 3-D seismic survey in northern areas. The technical teams use 220,000 detectors to collect data estimated at 5, 000 GB on a daily basis from the targeted areas, he said. He added that the 3-D seismic survey was launched in June 2012 and is planned to complete by June 2014. Al-Eidan went on to say that 65 percent of targeted areas were surveyed till now and collected data are being processed. "The cooperation between all bodies and institutions is one of the key factors for the success of such an ambitious mega project," he said.