Bahrain onshore production falls

Production from Bahrain's ageing onshore Awali oilfield fell 4.4 per cent during 2008 to 32,861 barrels per day, the country's National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) said in a statement.

The field was the first oil find on the Arab side of the Gulf in 1932, preceding discoveries in Saudi Arabia.

Bahrain plans to double output at the field by bringing in global oil companies to tap deeper layers of oil. Bahrain's share of output from the Abu Saafa oilfield stood at 149,829 bpd during 2008, virtually flat year-on-year, Noga said. Saudi state oil firm Aramco operates the field and shares the production with Bahrain.

Output at Bahrain's Bapco Sitra refinery was 263,299 bpd, down 2.08 per cent from 2007. Noga said Bahrain increased its natural gas production by 6.9 per cent to 436 billion cubic feet, all of which was consumed locally. Bahrain is looking to boost natural gas output to meet rising domestic demand, and has also discussed imports from nearby states.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.