KOC is developing the project because reservoir pressure from the field is dropping, hindering the flow and output of oil. By building a pilot water injection plant, it will be able to evaluate whether it can increase pressure, and if so, develop further water injection facilities.

The 39-month contract involves the drilling of a source water well in the Zubair formation about 1.5km from the Dharif injector well, which descends to a depth of more than 13,000 feet.

The selected contractor will install a variable-speed electro-submersible pump unit to pump water from the water well to the Winj 1 injector well, via a 4-inch flowline, at a flow rate of 8,000 barrels of water a day and at pressures ranging from 3,000-6,000 psi.

The pilot facility will be operated for two years, after which KOC will determine whether to proceed with a full-scale water injection scheme.

The five invited companies are Wood Group and Dresser-Rand, both of the UK, the US’ KBR, UAE-based Petrofac Facilities Management, and Florence-based GE Oil & Gas. The bid deadline is 9 September, with a pre-tender meeting set for 6 August.

The Dharif field lies to the southwest of Kuwait City, alongside the larger Khashman deposit. It was discovered in 1988, and was one of the few Kuwaiti fields left undisturbed by the Iraqi invasion in 1990 (MEED.com 14:2:08).