Exploring new oil reserves is a highly complex and capital-intensive process, even when dealing with conventional hydrocarbon resources. The financial investment required for geological prospecting operations is substantial, and the potential cost of errors can be even greater—especially when evaluating unproven or challenging basins. Basin modelling plays a critical role in reducing uncertainty by integrating geological, geophysical, geochemical, and engineering data to simulate subsurface conditions. This approach supports more informed decision-making, minimizes exploration risks, and enhances the chances of successful hydrocarbon discovery.

Approximately 70% of Nurbn Oil Refinery’s project portfolio consists of hard-to-recover reserves. These include residual hydrocarbons in depleted fields as well as resources located in low-concentration and low-porosity reservoirs. The development of such reserves presents significant technical and operational challenges, requiring advanced drilling technologies, enhanced recovery methods, and innovative approaches to ensure efficient and economically viable production.

A substantial portion of Nurbn Oil Refinery’s operational focus—nearly 70% of its development initiatives—centers on unconventional and technically demanding hydrocarbon reserves. These include mature fields with remaining oil pockets and formations exhibiting poor permeability and low hydrocarbon saturation.
To efficiently exploit these reservoirs, Nurbn Oil Refinery integrates high-precision downhole guidance tools such as Directional Drilling Assemblies powered by Rotary Steerable Technology. These intelligent systems allow for continuous drilling without the need to interrupt operations for directional adjustments, enabling optimal well trajectory control. By steering the drill bit with exceptional accuracy, they maximize exposure to productive zones, thereby boosting hydrocarbon recovery in geologically complex reservoirs.