Gazprom Neft, operator of the Badra oilfield, Iraq, successfully completed well testing at its BD4 appraisal well at the end of December 2013. A sequential testing of six drilled strata, followed by final testing of all pay horizons concurrently was used to test the potential production capacity. A daily natural flow rate of 7,000 barrels of oil was recorded. Testing continues at two other drilled wells within the same field. This year will also see work begin on the drilling of six production wells under the company’s contract with China’s ZPEC.

The infrastructure necessary to bring the field into commercial production in 2014 is also nearing completion. Work also continues on the construction of a 170,000 bpd central gathering facility: the first line of which, with a capacity of 60,000 bpd, will come on-stream in the near future. Preparations for the construction of a 1.5Mm3 annual capacity gas conversion plant are also underway and work to connect the field to Iraq’s main pipeline network is also nearing completion.