مجلة البحوث و الدراسات النفطية

Table 1. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – April 2025 Table 2. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – May 2025 Table 3. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – June 2025

The X Oil Field oil field, is a giant field facing operational challenges during drilling activities, the most prominent being drilling mud loss in various geological formations. This issue adversely affects drilling efficiency and increases operational costs. This study aims to identify the levels of drilling mud loss in the X Oil Field wells and estimate these levels for new wells to support decision-making related to optimal drilling site selection and risk mitigation associated with mud loss. Data on well locations, formation tops, and mud loss values were analyzed using the Landmark system. A database was created within the OpenWorks platform, and the data were processed with the VIR10 (DSG) program for seismic and geological analysis. The study covered data from 56 wells. Four contour maps were prepared to show the distribution of mud loss levels (low, moderate, and high). Additionally, four representative wells were selected for detailed analysis of mud loss levels: X-53, X-54, X-55, and X-56. The results revealed mud loss in the A, B, C, and D formations, with three levels of occurrence identified across the entire field: low, moderate, and high. Low levels were concentrated in the southern and western parts of the field, moderate levels were distributed in the northern and eastern parts, and high levels were primarily located in the central area. The contour maps showed significant variation in mud loss even among adjacent wells, limiting the ability to generalize spatial data across the whole field. The A formation exhibited the highest drilling mud loss compared to the other formations. Calculation tables developed using Microsoft Excel demonstrated a high capability to estimate mud loss levels for new wells based on data from nearby wells, making them an effective tool for supporting future drilling planning. The study recommends incorporating these results into the geological drilling programs of the X Oil Field, exercising caution when drilling wells at the structural highs of the field where high mud loss occurs. It also advises preparing a lithological distribution map for the A formation correlated with 3D seismic data to better delineate potential mud loss zones. Moreover, acquiring updated 3D seismic data in (Segy-PSTM) format is necessary to improve assessment accuracy. This study serves as a model that can be generalized and applied to other oil fields operated by Basrah Oil Company facing similar mud loss challenges.

Catalytic reforming process of sweet heavy naphtha to produce high octane number gasoline (reformate) using bimetallic platinum (Pt) and tungsten (W) loaded on Nano γ-Al2O3 as support, prepared by wet impregnation method and characterization by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area BET and crushing strength. Results showed high surface area 340.1m2/mg, pore volume 0.326 cm3/gm, pore size is 6.139 nm and average particle size 64.64 nm when loading 0.3wt%Pt and 0.3wt%W, on Nano γ-Al2O3. The activity of the prepared Pt-W/γ-Al2O3 Nano catalyst was investigated using sweet heavy naphtha at the temperature range (470 to 520°C), pressure of 15 bar and H2/ HC ratio = 6 in a packed bed reactor for catalytic reforming pilot unit. The best result was obtained research octane number equal 88.5 for product gasoline at temperature 500ºC. Last but not least, the results of adding tungsten to the Nano-catalyst gave an improvement in the chemical reactions.

Mo₂C-modified HY zeolite catalysts were developed to enhance dehydrogenation and isomerization reactions in naphtha catalytic reforming. Two composite systems, Pt–Ti/HY and Mo₂C–Pt/CeY, were synthesized and characterized using XRD, BET, and FTIR.techniques. Catalytic performance was evaluated in a pilot reforming unit at temperatures of 480–520 °C, pressures of 10–15 bar, LHSV of 2 h⁻¹, and H₂/HC ratio of 4. Results indicate that titanium incorporation improves metal–acid balance and promotes hydrogenation–dehydrogenation functionality through the formation of tetrahedrally coordinated Ti species. Among the tested catalysts, Pt–Ti/HY exhibited superior performance, achieving a research octane number of 86.2 and aromatics yield of 27.2 wt% at 520 °C and 15 bar. These findings demonstrate that metal modification of HY zeolite significantly enhances catalytic activity and selectivity in naphtha reforming.

Gas lift is one of the oldest methods used to produce hydrocarbon fluids from wells experiencing declining production. It works by aerating the mixture inside production tubing and forcing it to the surface. One of the reasons for declining production in oil wells is an increase in water cut or a drop in reservoir pressure, which requires one of the artificial lift methods to restore production. (A) oil field suffers from an increase in water cut, which has affected well productivity. The wells under study have a water cut of up to 66%, resulting in very low production rates. In this research, Pipesim software was used to build a physical and fluid model, then design an optimal gas lift system that achieves the highest possible productivity from these wells. The design of the gas lift system depends directly on injection pressure, injection rate, and wellhead pressure, which in turn affect the remaining design variables. The availability of gas in the field is a prerequisite for the system's success, while injection pressure can be provided by suitable compressors. For this reason, optimal injection rates were taken into consideration to avoid excessive gas. The results showed a significant increase in production for the wells under study, with increases percentage as 238% (from 793 to 2,682 stb/d) and 146% (from 1,100 to 2,706 stb/d). The gas lift system works to lift fluids accumulated in the well, and this does not mean it is a method for treating water cut, as water cut comes into the well from the producing formation. In other words, this increase applies to the fluids as a whole, not just oil production. A prospective study was conducted to simulate the effectiveness of the gas lift system in dealing with changes in well operating conditions, such as increased water cut or decreased reservoir pressure. The results demonstrated the flexibility and success of the gas lift system in dealing with problems and challenges that occur during production, as the simulation procedure was based on an increase in water cut of up to 90 % and a decrease in the reservoir pressure reaching 3200 psi. Despite this, the wells continued to produce at rates of 1549 and 1593 stb/d. Furthermore, this study can be applied to other wells in the field where water cut is high, demonstrating the importance of gas lift in maintaining production and its feasibility in the field.