Bahrain: Outstanding results in oil refining, production

Bahrain’s oldest oil field has improved in production thanks to the establishment of Tatweer Petroleum: a joint venture between Bahrain, the American Occidental Company and the Emirati Mubadala Company, Abdul Husain Mirza, the energy minister has said. “In addition, the Abu Saafa field, a joint field between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has reached a production record of 300,000 Barrels per Day, with Bahrain’s share standing at 150,000 BpD,” the minister said in a report detailing the oil and gas sector’s progress in 2011. Bahrain Petroleum Company’s (BAPCO) refinery scored a production record in November 2011, refining a total of 3,713,000 BpD, exceeding expectations in the annual budget forecast. Bahrain’s Gas production also increased with the total gas production reaching 552 billion cubic tons in 2011, the report said, adding that plans were in the works for a liquefied gas seaport. Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company production reached 1,575 million metric tons in 2011, a 6.7 per cent increase in annual production while and Bahrain National Gas Company and its expansion project achieved a 4.3 per cent increase in annual production. Some of the projects in 2011 included a $120 million environmental project by BAPCO to improve wastewater treatment, the development of new imported Saudi crude oil pipelines avoiding residential areas and further increase the daily refinery production. Under oil and gas agreements, Occidental has dug the first oil exploration well in Southwest Bahrain in 2011, and will dig two more wells in 2012 as part of the joint oil excavation agreement signed by Bahrain and Occidental, the report said.