Rumaila on the rise

RUMAILA - Iraq's largest oil field is on track to average 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) this year - a steep increase that comes despite plans to cut its production plateau target from 2.85 million bpd to as low as 2 million bpd.

When BP and PetroChina signed the 2009 technical service contract for the development of Rumaila, the 17.7 billion barrel field was producing just under 1 million bpd and that rate was declining by 10 percent per year. Now, the Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO) - the umbrella entity that runs the field - plans to reach 1.6 million bpd by the end of the year, according to Salah Mohammed, the ROO deputy general manager.