Journal of Petroleum Geology, vol. 22(4), October 1999, pp. 417-436

In this paper, we review the oil- and gasfields located within the State of Qatar, and survey the discovery and development of hydrocarbons in Qatar over the past 60 years. This development history can be divided into two phases - before and after 1990. Until 1990, four producing areas had been identified, one onshore and three offshore. The single onshore field (Dukhan) has three oil producing reservoirs, beneath which is a non-associated gas reservoir. Offshore, the first producing area comprises three oil and associated gasfields (Idd El Shargi, Maydan Mahzam and Bul Hanine); while the second is the super-giant North gasfield. Qatar also shares with Abu Dhabi the offshore Al-Bunduq gasfield. Although a number of other areas were explored by seismic survey and drilling, no further commercial oil was declared. Since 1990, however, there has been considerable further exploration around the offshore producing areas, and a number of new fields have been discovered (e.g. Al-Khalij, Al-Rayyan and Al-Shaheen).