Abu Dhabi has started commissioning the full field development on its newest producing onshore field, Bida al-Qemzan, located about 200 kilometres southeast of the capital emirate.

The project’s operator, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Operations (Adco), awarded the engineering and procurement work to the local Veco Engineering and the construction contract to India’s Larsen & Toubro, worth a combined $430m in 2010.

The project will establish Bida al-Qemzan (BQ) as a producing asset, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s target of boosting onshore crude output from 1.5 million barrels a day (b/d) to 1.8 million b/d by 2015.

According to Adco, the BQ field will represent 3.5 per cent of its southwest Bu Hasa/Huwaila/BQ assets’ estimated current 600,000 b/d, giving BQ a capacity of about 21,000 b/d.

The scheme includes an oil gathering system, multiphase pumping system, a multiphase fluids export pipeline to the nearby Bu Hasa field, water injection, offsites and utilities.

The development of a second new onshore field, Quasahwira, is on target to start production during 2013, according to industry sources. Local group National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) is carrying out a $560m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract at the field, awarded in early 2010.

The Quasahwira field is located in the far southeast of Abu Dhabi and will be connected through a new oil pipeline to Adco’s producing Asab field 80 kilometres to the northwest.

Adco is a joint venture of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the UK’s BP, the US’ ExxonMobil, the UK/Dutch Shell Group, France’s Total and Portugal’s Partex Oil & Gas. Adnoc has prequalified companies to bid for the renewal of the onshore oil and gas fields concession, which expires in 2014.