Key Production Growth Target Achieved at Zubair Field

Eni, Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) announced that they have achieved and sustained a 10-percent increase in oil production at the Zubair field, near Basra in southern Iraq.

Production from the Zubair field has grown to more than 200,000 barrels of oil per day from the approximately 183,000 barrels of oil a day produced when the consortium started field operations in the first quarter of 2010.

The consortium, led by Eni (32.81%) with partners Oxy (23.44%), KOGAS (18.75%) and the Missan Oil Company (25%), signed a technical service contract in late January to redevelop the Zubair field with Iraq's state-owned South Oil Company (SOC) and Missan Oil Company as State Partner.

With the successful 10-percent increase in initial production, the consortium’s contract cost recovery mechanism commences, with the group additionally earning $2 per barrel on the incremental oil production.

The consortium plans to increase production from the Zubair field to 1.2 million barrels of oil a day, representing an increase of about 1 million barrels of oil per day. Target production is expected to be reached progressively within the next six years and maintained for seven years thereafter.

“Oxy’s success in Iraq is a direct result of an outstanding partnership with the Iraqi government and our consortium partners in developing one of the world’s great oilfields,” said Dr. Ray R. Irani, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental Petroleum. “We are proud of our initial results in Iraq as well as our continued success in numerous other projects across the Middle East.”

The redevelopment of the Zubair field, one of the largest discovered fields in the world, will support Iraq in becoming a major player in global oil markets. It also will foster social and economic development at a regional and national level, by providing training and development opportunities for the thousands of Iraqi workers of Zubair and by promoting much-needed economic stimulus.

The Zubair Field Operating Division manages the rehabilitation and expansion project, which is staffed mainly by employees from South Oil Company with expert support from the consortium