Early in 2005, the Iraq Ministry of Oil engaged ECL to conduct a basic study of Iraq’s Kirkuk field. Shell provided technical and financial support for the study, bringing extensive experience of production from mature fields, field developments and operations in the Middle East to the study.

This first phase of the study has now been completed and has resulted in a comprehensive database of the field and an improved understanding of the reservoir behaviour.  The report of this first phase was handed over to the Ministry at the beginning of last summer.

Shell will undertake a further full study of the future development options of the Kirkuk field and will assist the Ministry and the North Oil Company with the improvement of production from the field.

Natiq Al-bayati, Director General for Reservoirs and Field Development, commented, “Kirkuk is one of the major fields of Iraq. It will be important to further develop the field in an optimal manner. The study will be executed with full participation of staff from the Ministry and North Oil Company.”

Adil al Qazzaz, Director General for North Oil Company, said, “We expect the study to result in specific recommendations to improve production from the field in the short term.”

Shell’s participation in the Kirkuk study is part of a broad programme of assistance in line with the company’s continued commitment to supporting the Iraqi oil industry,  and establishing a material and enduring presence in the country.

Sustainable development is a crucial factor to consider when meeting the high growth in energy demand worldwide, delegates at the ‘Britain in Kuwait’ Conference and Exhibition heard last summer through a presentation made by Dr Ken Taylor, Sustainable Development Advisor for Shell Exploration and Production and former Chairman of Kuwait Shell.

Building on the recently published ‘Shell Sustainability Report 2005’, Dr Taylor said, “For Shell, meeting the energy challenge means producing the extra energy needed for economic growth in environmentally and socially responsible ways.

“This includes managing the environmental impact of oil and gas exploration and production as well as developing alternative energy resources and ensuring skills and knowledge transfer wherever we operate,” he added.

Recent developments in Kuwait include the provision of technical support in Kuwait’s refineries to help improve reliability and energy efficiency, as well as using the latest Shell technology to improve air emissions by removing sulphur.

“Shell has many long-term partnerships with national oil companies, and our aim is to develop and expand these relationships by focusing on people development and protection of the environment as much as sound technology application and business practice,” Dr Taylor said.

Recent initiatives by Kuwait Shell include a workshop and seminar on oil shipping safety standards and road safety awareness, as well as the support of a wildlife campaign conducted by Kuwait’s Environment Public Authority to increase awareness of biodiversity and the protection of wildlife among high school students.

“We are honoured to be able to look back on a continuous relationship with Kuwait that dates back to the 1940s, and look forward to continuing our work with Kuwait to help meet the energy challenges faced by the oil sector worldwide by sharing knowledge and the latest technologies,” said Dr Taylor.

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) a Government owned company in which Shell holds a 34 per cent shareholding - has provided Oman’s Ministry of Education with 400 copies of its recently issued ‘Oil & Gas Dictionary’ for distribution to schools in the Sultanate. PDO’s donation was formally accepted by Saud bin Salim al Balushi, Director General of Curricula, at a ceremony held in the summer and attended by PDO officials and senior Ministry staff.

The 320-page book, which was researched, compiled and produced entirely in-house by PDO, contains a comprehensive list of oil- and gas-related terms with corresponding definitions in Arabic. Photographs, illustrations, diagrams and footnotes help to further elucidate some of the more complex terms listed in the dictionary. Following the publication of the lexicon earlier this year as PDO's contribution towards the national effort to designate Muscat as the ‘Capital of Arab Culture 2006’, the Ministry of Education approached PDO with a formal request to be provided with copies for distribution to schools across the country.

“With the advancement of technology, new oil and gas terms are constantly coming into circulation, often outpacing efforts to have them included in technical dictionaries,” says Abdul Amir bin Abdul Hussain al Ajmi, PDO’s External Affairs and Communications Manager. “For want of suitable dictionaries, non-English speakers often find themselves confounded by industry jargon. But with PDO’s new ‘Oil & Gas Dictionary’, Arabic speakers can familiarise themselves with such terminology as easily as they would check out a word or phrase in a regular dictionary.

“This is certainly not the first time that PDO has teamed up with the Ministry of Education to spread knowledge to the country’s children”, he added. “For the last three years or so we have also been publishing a quarterly educational magazine titled ‘Al Manhal’, which – with the aid of the Ministry – is also being distributed to all schools in the Sultanate.

“The ‘Oil & Gas Dictionary’ is just the latest initiative we have taken to try to help the public learn about the industry that is the life blood of this nation. Last month we organised a course for local journalists on the enhanced oil recovery techniques that PDO intends to apply over the coming years to maintain its oil production levels. We have also issued a booklet about the oil and gas industry for schoolchildren who regularly visit our Oil & Gas Exhibition Centre.”

The staff at Barrow & Schuck, the publishers of ‘Shell in the Middle East’ magazine, would like to state their appreciation for the very valuable work of Dave Stuart, the Managing Editor of the magazine, who is moving on to pastures new. Dave Stuart took over the role of Managing Editor of ‘Shell in the Middle East’ with issue 18 in July 2002 and for the last 18 issues has successfully managed a series of developments of the magazine in close co-operation with the editorial team at Barrow & Schuck.

These developments have seen the magazine grow to 60 pages, adopting both a recent new design and typeface, with bolder images and ever-more in-depth features.

Dave is a professional journalist and manager and his contributions to both the editorial content and management of the magazine have been for the real benefit of all concerned and have been very well received, resulting in what is widely perceived to be a greatly enhanced publication.

We wish Dave all the best for the future and also take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to Ahmed Mokhtar as the new Managing Editor of ‘Shell in the Middle East’ magazine.