Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production (OOCEP) has reported continued progress in exploring the hydrocarbon potential of its Block 60 concession in central Oman, a report said.

Block 60, a roughly 1,580-sq km concession is home to the prolific Abu Butabul tight gas field, which was successfully brought into operation last December — the culmination of a $1.2 billion investment by OOCEP in this landmark project, explained the Oman Observer report.

While condensates go into PDO’s Main Oil Line at Barik, processed natural gas from Abu Butabul is fed into the gas grid operated by Oman Gas Company.

Gas production is being gradually ramped up to reach a plateau output of 70 million standard cu ft per day (mmscfd) along with condensates averaging 6,000 barrels per day (bpd), the report said.

OOCEP has also been pushing ahead with an exploration programme targeting other hydrocarbon prospects within Block 60.

According to its Annual Report 2014, the company plans to build on the success of its maiden exploration well, Bisat-1, which was spudded last September.

“The exploration drilling programme is likely to further expand from the earlier envisaged programme of minimum of 4-5 wells by incorporating follow-up exploratory wells to the Bisat success,” OOCEP stated.