BP to Start Exploring for Gas in Jordan

BP Plc is likely to begin drilling exploratory well at the Risha natural gas deposit in Jordan in the next few weeks to assess reserves, Bloomberg has reported.

The company will draft a detailed report on the volume of gas reserves in the field after drilling the wells. Initial BP studies show that production at Risha can reach 330 million cubic feet a day if not more, depending on the reserves discovered.

London-based BP agreed in October 2009 to join Jordan’s state-owned National Petroleum Co. to explore and develop Risha, which occupies an area of about 7,000 square kilometers. The kingdom has agreed with Iraq to jointly develop the Risha field, Iraqi State Minister Ali al-Dabbagh said last March.