A giant oil tower has arrived in the northern oil fields

Boost to Hamrin drilling
17/11/2011 12:57
Kirkuk, Nov. 17 (AKnews) - A giant oil tower has arrived in the northern oil fields around Kirkuk and can start work on reclaiming old oil wells and drilling new ones.

The wells of the Hamrin mountains were left unused until June this year when work began to reopen old wells and drill new ones.

The Iraqi Drilling Company announced the arrival of the monster mobile drilling machine on Thursday. Committee chairman Kazem Hussein told AKnews the tower will drill wells up to 3,000 feet.

The Oil Ministry's intention is to open fresh or reclaim and repair 72 wells in the area. This project is set to increase the productivity of the Kirkuk area. Normally the northern fields export 460,000 barrels of oil a month through the Ceyhan pipeline running into Turkey.

For the month of September however only 334,000 barrels of oil left Kirkuk's fields, a decrease from the norm because of interruptions owing to faults and terrorists targeting the pipeline. The Hamrin mountains have been a haven for insurgents fighting the U.S. forces in Iraq.

In 2008 the American and Iraqi military proclaimed the area clear of militants. However Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bombing over the summer halted the flow oil through this outlet.

AA

RN/JS/AKnews