Report: United Arab Emirates invests in Mender marginal field to boost production

The development of Mender field is part of UAE’s efforts to increase its oil production as no significant crude oil discoveries have been made recently, according to a report by GlobalData.

The lack of major discoveries has prompted the country to focus on enhanced oil recovery techniques and marginal assets to add to its total oil production.

Titled ‘United Arab Emirates Mender Project Panorama – Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report’, the report states that Mender field will start production in 2017 and will produce 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) at its peak.

Though the field will contribute just 1% to the country’s 2020 target of 3.5mbpd, it will be significant as UAE failed to meet its target in 2015. The country’s oil production fell short of its target by 600,000bpd at 2.9mbpd in 2015.

The field will contribute 10% to the operator Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations’ target of 1.8mbpd. Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract worth $344m for developing the field in May 2015.

The Chinese company will be responsible for the construction of the power transmission lines, gathering stations and pipelines. The project work is on schedule to achieve first oil on the targeted date.