Kuwait Oil Company Deciphers 'Sabkha' Secrets, Opening Avenues for Increased Production
Kuwait Oil Company successfully lowers groundwater levels in Sabkha and Al-Maqwa, facilitating drilling and boosting production from the Burgan and Warah fields.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
Using New Technologies to Lower Groundwater Levels
By Bilal Naji
Official data obtained by Al-Siyasa newspaper revealed that Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has successfully implemented a landmark engineering project aimed at extracting and lowering groundwater levels in the Sabkha areas, known for their exceptionally high groundwater tables close to the surface.
The report noted that this project represents a radical and permanent solution to one of the most complex geological and historical challenges faced by development and exploration operations since the discovery of the large Burgan field in the 1930s. Specialized technical teams at the company managed to lower groundwater levels by a record amount, from approximately half a meter to more than three full meters at one of the strategic sites within the Al-Maqwa oil field. This breakthrough enabled, for the first time in the region’s history, the execution of complex drilling and intensive production operations with absolute efficiency, full environmental and operational safety, and without any logistical obstacles that had previously disrupted project timelines.
Sources familiar with the matter stated that this unprecedented technical and environmental achievement was realized through the application of an integrated package of advanced technological solutions and innovative engineering systems. These included the redesign of specialized wells directed at extracting and pumping groundwater with high dynamic efficiency, alongside the development of integrated digital operating programs and smart control systems for modern submersible electric pumps. This directly and tangibly contributed to achieving substantial financial and economic savings, with overall costs reduced by more than 90% compared to the expenses of equipping and preparing these sites, which are characterized by significant geographical and structural complexity. Additionally, it improved overall operational efficiency indicators for drilling rigs and successfully launched actual production operations from the first two oil wells drilled and developed in this reclaimed area. It is expected and anticipated that this successful engineering and technical approach will be scaled up to cover other operational areas, aiming to support and secure additional, substantial oil production from the Burgan and Warah reservoirs, which serve as the fundamental pillars of oil production in the southern and eastern regions of the country.
