Burgan field

For the plant known as Burgan, see Kunzea ericoides.

Burgan Field
Much of western and southern Kuwait is home to some of the largest oil fields in the world. The dark patch of land in southern Kuwait is where the Al-Burqan oil field is located.
Location of Burgan Field in Kuwait
Country	Kuwait
Region	Middle East
Offshore/onshore	Onshore
Coordinates	29°06′39″N 47°58′00″E
Operator(s)	Kuwait Oil Company
Field history
Discovery	1936
Start of production	1946
Peak of production	2005
Abandonment	2042
Production
Current production of oil	1,200,000 barrels per day (~6.0×10^7 t/a)
Current production of gas	550 million cubic feet per day (16×10^6 m3/d)
Peak of production (oil)	1,700,000 barrels per day (~8.5×10^7 t/a)
Estimated oil in place	44,000 million barrels (~6.0×10^9 t)
Producing formations	Upper Cretaceous Wara

The onshore Burgan Field in the desert of southeastern Kuwait is one of the world's largest and richest oil fields.

Discovery

After its discovery in February, 1938, the USA and UK-owned Kuwait Oil Company began commercial oil production at Burgan in 1946. The oil field is so rich that it is one of the world's easiest production sites. There are no rising and falling oil derricks at Burgan^{[citation needed]}, as seen at other oil fields. Instead, there are electric submersible pumps (ESPs) drawing off the oil as it flows to the surface on its own^{[citation needed]}. Burgan has helped Kuwait become one of the largest oil exporters on the planet. It accounts for more than half of Kuwait's proven oil reserves.

Production capacity

Production capacity peaked at 1,700,000 barrels per day (270,000 m³/d) in 2005 and subsequently declined. The International Energy Agency predicts an output of 1,640,000 bbl/d (261,000 m³/d) in 2020, 1,530,000 bbl/d (243,000 m³/d) in 2030.

Iraq war

In 1991, retreating Iraqi soldiers set Burgan Field on fire. Smoke plumes from the Greater Burgan oil field extended 50 kilometers in width on any given day, and 2.5 km thick. From satellite observations the plume appeared like a black snake in the desert that extended parallel to the Persian Gulf (EOS Project NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). The Red Adair Service and Marine Company extinguished 117 of the burning well fires, while the Canadian company Safety Boss set the pace with 180 wells extinguished. Declassified 1991 CIA documents claimed that despite the destruction there was no significant depletion of the oil reserves and drop in production capacity at Burgan field. Three gathering stations were, however, too badly damaged to repair.

See also

• Hubbert Peak Theory
• List of oil fields

External links

• The World's Giant Oil Fields by Matthew Simmons Research Report of Simmons & Co. International