Initial digging results show potential for increased gas production at Risha Field

AMMAN — Initial digging results at Well 48 in the Risha Field, eastern Jordan, show potential for increased production, the National Petroleum Company (NPC) announced on Tuesday.

Final results will be announced in May after a conclusive comprehensive assessment of the well is completed, according to an NPC statement.

The company said that it had finished digging in Well 48 in the Risha Field in the eastern region of the Kingdom, where the process resulted in the flow of good quantities of gas, initial estimations suggested.

The new well can increase the quantities of daily amounts produced, the NPC said.

The wells of the field produce some 9 million cubic feet of gas daily, while Jordan’s average daily consumption stands at around 330 million cubic feet, the company added.

The NPC has started preparation for drilling in Well 48 more than one year ago, the statement explained.

Technical studies were carried out to better understand the geology and topography of the Risha field ahead of the drilling in early February, the petroleum company noted.

The drillings were concluded on schedule, the statement underlined while highlighting the importance of this discovery.

The NPC said that, depending on the conclusive results, it may enable the company to boost the contribution of local natural gas sources to the total energy mix.

The company’s action plan includes drilling more wells to bolster Jordan’s reliance on local energy sources and reduce the national power bill, the statement said.

Since its establishment in 1995, through 2017, the NPC has produced some 221 billion cubic feet of natural gas, the statement added.

The sum of the NPC’s production over the duration of 22 years barely covers Jordan’s power generation needs of natural gas for no more than two years at the current consumption rate.

The Natural Resources Authority has drilled 45 wells since the NPC’s inception, of which 15 are operational and productive.