Germany’s oil and gas producer Wintershall has spudded the first offshore well at Abu Dhabi’s sour gas and condensate field of Shuwaihat, it said yesterday.
 
Wintershall successfully completed its first onshore well, SH-5, at Shuwaihat together with its partners ADNOC and Austria's OMV in July, 2015. After compiling and analysing the data from this well,  the fitrst offshore well, SH-6, has now been spudded. 
 
Shuwaihat is located in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, just west of Jebel Dhanna. The first exploration well in the area, which failed to find oil or gas, was drilled fifty years ago, in 1956-1957, by Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast), the ancestor of today's ADCO.
 
"We successfully completed the first project phase and are now ready to carry on with the planned activities, spudding the offshore well SH-6," said Uwe Salge, General Manager for Wintershall Middle East.
 
"Our technological expertise helps us to carry out drilling activities in challenging geological conditions, applying the highest health, safety, environment standards."
 
Evaluation of the Shuwaihat reservoir will include up to three field appraisal wells and a 3D seismic survey. The third planned well (SH 7) will also be drilled offshore.
 
Mugharraq Port, the onshore embarkation point for ferries to Dalma, has been developed as the base for Wintershall's supply operations.
 
For the offshore well SH-6, Wintershall also implemented an extensive safety concept. Throughout the Health, Safety and Environmental Impact Assessment process, potential hazards and impacts were identified and mitigation measures, including emergency plans, training sessions, equipment specifications, monitoring requirements, were defined. Since operations take place in an environmentally sensitive area, Wintershall, together with ADNOC, has set up an extended oil spill response system, including a certified spill response capable vessel.
 
Wintershall made their announcement as part of their participation in the ADIPEC oil and gas exhibition and conference, currently being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC.