Exploration
Offshore Block-5 covers an area of 6,223 square kilometer and is located 100 km northeast of Abu Dhabi city in Abu Dhabi offshore waters. Regionally, the block falls in prolific Rub Al Khali basin where multiple working hydrocarbon plays exists and several giant hydrocarbon fields are producing. Historically, Umm Shaif was the first commercial hydrocarbon discovery in Offshore Abu Dhabi in 1950s following which, number of wells were drilled by different operators and resulted in several discoveries including Zakum, Abu Al Bakhoosh and Umm Al Dalkh, etc.
The block is in the eastern offshore area of Abu Dhabi having five existing undeveloped discoveries. Historically, major exploration efforts in the block were carried out during 1960s to 1990s, wherein 16 exploration wells were drilled resulting in these five discoveries. Exploration activities were mainly focused on structural and stratigraphic potential of Cretaceous reservoirs in the eastern and central part of the block while Jurassic reservoirs were mainly focused in the western part of the block. No well was drilled in the block below middle Jurassic Izhara formation so deeper Paleozoic play remains untested.
Large volume of vintage 2D and 3D seismic data exists in the block. New 3D seismic data of ~5814.2 sq.km was acquired in 2021-22, covering almost the entire Offshore Block 5. Time processing of the data has been completed and depth processing will soon be available for G&G evaluation. Good quality, continuous mega 3D seismic coverage is now available in this prolific part of the basin, having multiple world class source, reservoir, and cap rocks.
