Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) announced a significant achievement in its heavy oil operations, reaching a production milestone of 90,000 barrels per day. This marks a first in the company’s history and is a key development in the North and West Kuwait Directorate.
Essa Al-Maraghi, Deputy CEO of North and West Kuwait, highlighted the accomplishment as a notable feat, particularly given the numerous challenges faced in developing and operating the complex heavy oil fields. These challenges included limited resources for steam injection, drilling rigs, and maintenance support.
Al-Maraghi attributed the success to the dedication of the teams working on the Ratqa field project in northern Kuwait. He also credited the company’s recent organizational transformation for providing the flexibility needed to adapt and achieve goals in a shorter timeframe.
In addition, Al-Maraghi commended the partnership between KOC and Shell International, emphasizing their collaborative efforts through an advanced technical services agreement. Together, the companies applied best practices and innovative solutions to optimize steam usage, which helped mitigate the shortage of steam and enabled the company to surpass its production targets.
Among the key initiatives introduced were an automated tool to improve steam allocation, the use of quadruple reverse osmosis water, comprehensive design evaluations, enhanced extraction efficiency, and continuous well performance monitoring. These innovations played a crucial role in improving production efficiency.
With the milestone achieved, Al-Maraghi expressed pride in the company’s management and the collective efforts that made it possible. The achievement coincides with KOC’s 90th anniversary, adding significance to the accomplishment. Looking ahead, KOC is targeting a production level of 100,000 barrels per day by the second quarter of 2025, continuing its push to boost heavy oil output.