Dana Gas has announced that it is moving ahead with plans for the exploration and development of the Western Offshore concession in the Emirate of Sharjah. The company has signed a 25-year concession agreement with the government of Sharjah in March 2008, giving the firm a 50% working interest in the project.
According to the company, the agreement covers a total offshore area of over 1,000sqkm, and includes the Zora gas field in Sharjah, which was discovered in 1979.
Under the agreement, the work program carried out by Dana Gas will include the drilling of 3,000ft of horizontal section in each of the two wells originally drilled by Crescent Petroleum, testing and completing both wells, the installation of offshore platform for immediate processing and production, and the transportation of the processed gas via 25km of offshore pipeline.
The agreement also provides for important exploration works within the concession area, including geological evaluation studies, followed by seismic surveys and the drilling of exploration wells.
Ahmed Al Arbeed, executive director of upstream at Dana Gas, said: “We have retained the services of reservoir specialists to conduct detailed studies on the potential of the field, and generate the optimum development options.”
Dana Gas claims to be the first regional private-sector natural gas company in the Middle East, established with over 300 reputable founder shareholders from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Headquartered in Sharjah in the UAE, it possesses a network of offices in Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan Region – Iraq, Egypt, and UK, with further offices opening throughout the Middle East.
