Burgan field

: For the plant known as Burgan, see Kunzea ericoides.

Name	Burgan Field
Region	Middle East
Country	Kuwait
Location map	Kuwait
Location map text	Location of Burgan Field in Kuwait
Lat d	29
Lat m	06
Lat s	39
Lat ns	N
Long d	47
Long m	58
Long s	00
Long ew	E
Coordinates type	type:landmark_region:KW_source:kolossus-jawiki
Coordinates display	inline,title
Offonshore	Onshore
Operators	Kuwait Oil Company
Caption	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.
Discovery	1936
Startofproduction	1946
Peakofproduction	2005
Expectedabandonment	2042
Peak of production oil bbl/d	1700000
Oil production bbl/d	1200000
Production gas mmcuft/d	550
Est oil bbl	44000
Producingformations	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. Kabeer Burgan is so rich that it is one of the world's easiest production sites. There are no rising and falling oil derricks at Burgan like the ones seen at other oil fields, but this doesn't rule out electric submersible pump (ESPs). That is because oil practically flows to the surface on its own. Burgan has helped Kuwait become one of the largest oil exporters on the planet. Burgan accounts for more than half of Kuwait's proven oil reserves.

Production capacity

Production capacity peaked at in 2005 and subsequently declined. The International Energy Agency predicts an output of in 2020, 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 oilwell fires, while 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 production capacity of Burgan field. Three gathering stations were however too badly damaged to repair.

See also

Hubbert Peak Theory

List of oil fields

References

External links

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

Category:Geography of Kuwait Category:Oil fields of Kuwait