Development Challenges and Reservoir Evaluation of Bina Bawi Gas Field

The Bina Bawi gas field is located in Sulaymania Province 60 km from Erbil Province, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The Bina Bawi#1 exploration well was drilled in a total depth of 3,355 meters (11,007 feet) for the purpose of testing the hydrocarbon potential of the Triassic-Jurassic carbonate reservoirs of Kurra Chine; Qamchuqa (Primary) and Butmah Sarki (secondary). A midstream pre-FEED study was completed in early 2017 and the field development plan (FDP) was submitted to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) - Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in 2018. The oil and gas field, is expected to help the Kurdistan Regional Government in meeting the domestic gas demand and for export to Turkey according to the contract agreed with Genel. The Triassic Kurra Chine and Geli Khana formation is represented in a large anticlinal structure. The oil rim lies in the Jurassic formation. The resources need further appraisal well to turn them into a reserve. The gas is very sour gas and requires specialised technology. The development of the Bina Bawi field needs further planning to minimize costs and reduce risk. A phased development would allow to gain additional knowledge about the reservoir, control costs and reduce the risk of development. The dispute between KRG and the federal government represented by the Ministry of Oil, and the decision of the supreme court about the validity of any KRG oil and gas contracts poses a risk complicating International Oil Companies (IOC’s) investment in Iraqi Kurdistan.