Az Zubair Field

The Az Zubair Field (Arabic: حقل الزبير), also known as Az-Zubayr, is an oil field located in southern Iraq, west of Basrah. It is one of the largest fields in the world and was discovered by the Basrah Petroleum Company, an associate of the Iraq Petroleum Company, in 1949. It has 4.5 billion barrels (~6.1×10^8 t) of proven reserves and currently produces 195 thousand barrels per day (31.0×10^3 m3/d) but in the next years, under the field's expansion programme, production is expected to reach a plateau level of 1.125 million barrels per day (178.9×10^3 m3/d).[1]

Az Zubair Field
Az Zubair Field is located in Iraq
Az Zubair Field
Location of Az Zubair Field
CountryIraq
Offshore/onshoreonshore
Coordinates30.35°N 47.60°E / 30.35; 47.60
PartnersSouth Oil Company
Missan Oil Company
Service contractorsEni
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Korea Gas Corporation
Field history
Discovery1949
Production
Current production of oil195,000 barrels per day (~9.72×10^6 t/a)
Estimated oil in place4,500 million barrels (~6.1×10^8 t)
Producing formationsUpper Cretaceous Mishrif formation; Lower Cretaceous Zubair formation

The development contract has been awarded to a consortium led by Eni (32.81%) with Occidental Petroleum Corporation (23.44%), Korea Gas Corporation (18.75%) and Iraq's state-run Missan Oil Company (25%).[2]

Cancer-risk

Gas, a by-product from the oil-extraction, is burned openly, which produces cancer-linked pollutants. The Iraqi law prohibit gas-burning less than 10 km from people's homes, but BBC found in 2022 gas was being burned as close as 350 meters from people's homes. A leaked report from Ministry of Health (Iraq) blamed air pollution for 20% rise in cancer in Basra between 2015 and 2018.[3] The Iraqi Ministry of Health has banned its employees from speaking about the health damage.[3] Iraqi Environment Minister Jassem al-Falahi later admitted that "pollution from oil production is the main reason for increases in local cancer rates." None of the affected locals have gotten any compensation.[4]

References
  1. "Eni Consortium to Redevelop Zubair Field in Iraq". RIGZONE. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  2. "Eni, Occidental Petroleum and KOGAS sign the technical service contract with Iraq's South Oil Company and Missan Oil Company to redevelop Zubair field" (Press release). Eni. 2010-01-22. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  3. BP in oil field where ‘cancer is rife’,By Jess Kelly, Owen Pinnell & Esme Stallard, 30 September, BBC
  4. Iraqi minister admits gas flaring cancer link, 17 October, BBC


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