Giant gas field discovery in Iran
Reports that Orca is the largest gas find this year have a competing claim from Iran, where in mid-October the National Iranian Oil Company announced that it had discovered a…
Middle East
Extraordinary hydrocarbon potential Offshore Lebanon
Extraordinary hydrocarbon potential Offshore Lebanon As Jane Austen might have said: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that exploration companies possessing acreage in the Eastern Mediterranean must be in want…
Using Solar Energy in Oil & Gas
A revolution is underway in the Omani desert: renewable solar energy is being used in oil & gas to help lower the cost of production of heavy oil and conserve…
Exploration Update: Offshore Bahrain
Highly significant offshore hydrocarbon discovery of tight oil and deep gas in the Khaleej Al Bahrain Basin, offshore Bahrain. Major Hydrocarbon Discovery Offshore Bahrain Map showing the location of the…
The First Discoveries of Oil in Saudi Arabia
In the 1930s, Chief geologist at Casoc and Aramco expat, Max Steineke revolutionised hydrocarbon exploration in the Middle East using structure drilling – which led to some of the first…
The Policy Perception Index – Where to Invest?
A recent global petroleum survey suggests Norway and the UK are still considered attractive places to invest in petroleum exploration & production. Infographic results of the Global Petroleum Survey…
Giant Oil Fields of the World: Rumaila–West Qurna, Iraq
Rumaila–West Qurna in the Middle East is one of the world’s greatest supergiant oilfields. What is a Supergiant Field? Location of the Rumaila–West Qurna field, southern Iraq. © OECD/IEA 2012…
Gas Production in Iraq
Doubling hydrocarbon production in 2022 as the giant Miran-Bina Bawi project ramps up. The Future of Gas Production in Iraq The development of gas gathering and processing infrastructure in Iraq…
The Grand Canyon of the Middle East
Map showing location of the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman. Oman is often described as a geologist’s paradise – with good reason. Boasting a huge diversity of rocks ranging in…
Licensing Update – Exploration in Oman
Sultanate of Oman concession boundaries. There are currently over 10 open blocks that will be tendered in Oman over the next few years, providing some excellent exploration opportunities. In the…
Licensing Update – Lebanon
Levantine Basin Blocks In January 2017 Lebanon relaunched the licensing round which has been on hold for three years pending a resolution to the political crisis which had left the…
Licensing Update – Iran
New Iran Petroleum Contracts Despite the recent imposition of fresh sanctions by the US, Iran launched new contracts to develop its hydrocarbon resources in February 2017, its first such tender…