Two wells return to service at Ain Zalah field in Iraq’s Nineveh

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Iraq’s North Oil Company has restored production from two wells at the Ain Zalah oil field in Nineveh province, a senior official told Shafaq News.

Iyad Khalaf, deputy head of the Nineveh Oil Authority, said on Wednesday that the work forms part of a broader plan to reactivate idle or underperforming wells and increase output. National engineering teams, he clarified, used coiled tubing and nitrogen injection to remove blockages and improve flow, cutting repair time and costs while delivering measurable gains. “Similar operations are planned for additional wells under the approved program.”

The authority is coordinating with company management to secure the technical and logistical support required to sustain operations while maintaining strict safety and environmental standards, Khalaf added, noting that the upgrades are expected to stabilize production across Nineveh’s fields and reinforce their contribution to the national economy.

According to the North Oil Company, the first phase focused on well AZ-12, where internal deposits had restricted output, while the second phase targeted well AZ-20, where teams cleaned and stimulated the production line leading to the Ain Zalah gas separation station, enabling the well to resume output and increasing overall production. Both operations concluded without technical or operational issues.

Speaking to Shafaq News, oil analyst Ali Khalil described the approach as “important,” pointing out that optimizing existing capacity can raise recovery rates and reduce operating costs more efficiently than relying solely on new drilling.

The Ain Zalah field was discovered in 1952, west of Mosul Dam in northern Iraq. It extends about 17 kilometers in length and three kilometers in width and contains 29 wells.