The Oil Drum

Updated 13-06-2008 at 19h00 (GMT+01h00).

It all started in Spain, it quickly spread to Portugal and southern France. Lorry drivers are on the streets and on roads protesting against high fuel prices and bringing normal day life to a stand still.


Spanish lorry drivers blocking main access roads to Madrid.

Part of the problem with news out of Saudi Arabia is that it is often a little nuanced, and every word needs to be noted.  So just after writing yesterday that it would be interesting to see what SA would do, following the drop in production for OPEC in January, Schlumberger is carrying the news that the Haradh development will come on stream soon.  The development, down at the bottom end of the Ghawar field, was included in several of Matt Simmon's presentations, and, some time ago, I stole a descriptive slide from him to show the technology that they are using there.  You will note that in addition to Maximum Reservoir Contact (the multiple laterals off from the main horizontal well) they are also using interspersed valving to create Smart Wells.  The reason for this is

The company didn't say what the current output level is, but has said output is expected to be 300,000 b/d of crude oil and 140 million cubic feet per day of natural gas in the second quarter.

Saudi Aramco said oil began flowing Wednesday through a gas/oil separation plant at the southern end of Ghawar, the world's biggest oil field, just 21 months after approval of funding and ahead of schedule.

In the statement, Saudi Aramco said 520,000 b/d of treated seawater will be injected into the field each day to maintain reservoir pressure.