Novedades de Petroleo y Algo mas

The first phase of a GCC-wide power grid will be up and running in early 2009. It is expected to save money, improve efficiency and reduce the chances of power cuts.

The Dammam-based GCC Interconnection Authority general manager Adnan Al Mohaisen said the grid was on target to be commissioned at the end of next year, but would be operational during the first quarter of 2009. It is expected to result in a 50 per cent reduction in the operational reserve, compared to an isolated grid.

‘The main objective of the GCC interconnection is the sharing of reserves between the member states without sacrificing individual supply reliability,’ said Al Mohaisen.

He added isolated grids needed to generate much more electricity than is likely to be actually needed.

‘This is because a sudden surge in demand could overload and trip the system,’ he said.

‘With an interconnected grid, this can be substantially reduced by as much as 50pc, saving a lot of time and energy.’

In any event, each member state would be able to import up to the value of its interconnection size, which for Bahrain is 600 megawatts per day. For the UAE it is 900, for Saudi Arabia 1,200, for Oman 400, for Qatar 750 and for Kuwait 1,200.

‘The first phase includes the interconnection of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, which is known as the GCC North Grid,’ said Al Mohaisen.

‘The second phase will include the introduction of independent systems in the UAE and Oman. This is called the South Grid, which the authority is not involved in.

‘The third phase includes the interconnection of the South and North Grid, which completes the interconnection of all six GCC countries.’

Bahrain owns 9pc of the authority, which has an authorised capital of $1.1 billion (BD415.8 million). The UAE owns 15.4pc, Saudi Arabia 31.6pc, Oman 5.6pc, Qatar, 11.7pc and Kuwait 26.7pc. Al Mohaisen revealed details of the project at the Power-Gen Middle East Exhibition and Conference, which closed at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre yesterday.

The tie-up between Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, and WellDynamics, a leading provider of intelligent upstream completion technology, will see development of new solutions for multizone, multilateral intelligent completions.

“This joint development project is part of Saudi Aramco’s overall vision to develop Extreme Reservoir Contact (ERC) wells,” said Amin Nasser, vice president of Petroleum Engineering & Development, Saudi Aramco.

“ERC wells are intelligent multilateral wells that do not require individual control lines from the wellhead to each lateral or zone, and therefore, theoretically allow an unlimited number of intelligent laterals,” added Nasser.

“We are delighted to expand our relationship with Saudi Aramco as we undertake this important project,” said Derek Mathieson, vice president of Business Development and Technology, WellDynamics.

“We anticipate that jointly developing new intelligent completion systems for in-lateral monitoring and control will prove to be another significant milestone in our successful history of working together,” added Mathieson.

Saudi Aramco pioneered intelligent Maximum Reservoir Contact (MRC) wells, which attain more than 5 km of contact with the reservoir through intelligent laterals off the main wellbore that can be partially or fully opened and closed from the surface. Saudi Aramco’s most recently developed field, Haradh Increment III, completed in early 2006 with a production capacity of 300,000 bbls/day, relies on 32 intelligent MRC wells that utilise WellDynamics’ SmartWell intelligent completion technology.

“Intelligent MRC wells can only have a limited number of laterals (four to five), because each downhole control valve requires a mechanical control line to the wellhead. ERC wells would relax this requirement. We envision ERC wells of fifty to one hundred smart laterals that would efficiently drain the reservoir and ultimately maximize economic recovery,” explained Muhammad Saggaf, manager of Saudi Aramco’s Expec Advanced Research Center (ARC).

“This project is an illustration of Saudi Aramco’s aggressive pursuit of R&D initiatives that include collaborative technology development of next-generation tools and completions,” added Saggaf. The development project will be executed by a technical team comprised of researchers from Saudi Aramco’s Expec ARC and WellDynamics.

The project consists of the development of a unique telemetry system coupled to a subsurface control module which will control flow and transmit data from and to each “smart” lateral to the main bore, and ultimately to the surface. The system reduces technical risk by taking advantage of field-proven WellDynamics’ SmartWell products for basic monitoring and flow control functions within the laterals.

National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) chief Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza said international oil companies will be invited to explore in cooperation with the Bahrain National Petroleum Company.

The announcement, carried in a statement on the Bahrain News Agency, said the contract winner will be announced this year. It gave no further details on the areas to be offered.

NOGA was not immediately available to comment.

Bahrain produces about 35,000 barrels per day (bpd) from its Awali oilfield, according to the latest report on the country from the US Energy Information Administration.

It also receives another 150,000 bpd from Saudi Arabia from the Abu Saafa oilfield, the report said.