The US firm is expected to complete data acquisition, processing and interpretation by the spring of 2004, using its Q (cubicle) technology.

'[Initially], the study will help more in the development of the reservoir than in exploration and production,' Farouq al-Zanki, KOC deputy chairman and assistant managing director (exploration & production development), told MEED on 19 November. 'This is a pilot project. It will help in tracking the volume of fluid in the oil reservoir and managing water injection.'

At present, the Minagish field has capacity to produce about 150,000 barrels a day (b/d). Further reinjection is planned to increase capacity to 250,000 b/d. 'The 3D survey will help us in identifying the specific needs of the reservoir,' Al-Zanki said.

KOC plans similar projects in its other major oil fields. After Minagish, the focus will be on the adjacent Umm Gudair field, which has production capacity of 150,000 b/d. 'We plan to increase [production] levels from both fields to over 500,000 b/d,' he said.

Since 1 November, Kuwait's OPEC quota has been 1.966 million b/d. The state has production capacity of about 2.4 million b/d, of which 1.3 million b/d comes from the Burgan field. KOC is aiming for production capacity of 4 million b/d by 2020.