Petroleum Developments in Middle East and Adjacent Countries in 1953

Abstract

Petroleum production in the Middle East countries in 1953 totaled 885,279,500 barrels, an average of 2,425,400 barrels per day. This is an all-time high and exceeded the daily average production in 1952 by 342,300 barrels. Production in India, Pakistan, and Burma totaled about 4,950,000 barrels, an average of 13,560 barrels per day as compared with 12,460 barrels per day in 1952. Four new fields were put on production in 1953, namely, Magwa and Ahmadi in Kuwait, Wafra in the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, and Butmah in Iraq. Wildcat drilling led to discoveries at Wafra, Rumaila in southeast Iraq, Murban in the Trucial Coast area, Bai Hassan which is a short distance west of the Kirkuk field in northern Iraq, and at Nahorkatiya about 20 miles west-southwest of the Digboi field in India. Long step-out drilling appreciably extended the productive areas of the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia, the Ahmadi field in Kuwait, and of the Sui gas field in West Pakistan. Geological and geophysical work was actively carried out in the Iraq Petroleum Company group of concessions, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Israel, India Pakistan, and to a somewhat less extent in some of the other countries.