Q&A: Hatim Abdul-Imam Khudair, director for West Qurna 2

BASRA - The West Qurna 2 oil field in Basra is again producing over 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) after being forced to cut production by more than one-quarter in 2020 due to Iraq's OPEC-plus commitments.

Operated by Russia’s Lukoil in partnership with the Iraqi state-owned North Oil Company (NOC), the field contains an estimated 14 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and is targeting a maximum capacity of 800,000 bpd.

Hatim Abdul-Imam Khudair, the director of West Qurna 2, spoke with Iraq Oil Report about the expansion plans.

The field consists of two main reservoirs, Mishrif and Yamama. The majority of Iraq’s production from southern oil fields, including West Qurna 2, is from the Mishrif formation, which contains a heavier crude stream.

With Iraq’s crude slate getting heavier and more sulfurous, Iraq wants to develop the deeper Yamama formations at its giant oil fields in the south to produce lighter, higher-value crude oil — and West Qurna 2 can be a major contributor.