Dukhan

Oil exploration in the Dukhan area began in 1935.[6] In 1937, oil was struck in Dukhan; making it the first substantial oil reserve to be discovered in the peninsula.[3] Construction on Dukhan's first oil well began in 1939 and was finished the next year.[6] The original settlement was built as an oil camp for personnel of the Qatar Petroleum Company. Oil operations were temporarily shut down during World War II.[7]

Blueprint sketch map of Qatar drawn in February 1939 to illustrate the oil wells of Dukhan.

Supplies such as freshwater and food, as well as machinery, were imported from Bahrain through the shallow-water Zekreet Harbor, positioned slightly northward on the Bay of Zekreet.[8] On 31 December 1949, Dukhan exported its first barrel of oil. On 28 March 1953, a massive fire erupted at well DK35, which was drilling the Arab-D reservoir.[9] The full development of Dukhan's oil fields was completed in 1954. The city’s development entered a new stage of development when the Dukhan power station was commissioned in 1958, and when natural gas was found in the Khuff Reservoir the following year at an average depth of 10,000 feet.[7]

Over the next few decades Dukhan’s growth continued a steady pace. In 1974 the Fahahil plant was commissioned to recover raw natural gas liquids (NGL) from associated gas (which is found in either dissolved in crude oil or as a ‘cap’ of gas above the oil). This milestone was followed in 1976 by the first development well in the Khuff reservoir, and from 1978 to 1982 eight Khuff wellhead treatment plants were commissioned.[7]

Dukhan expanded further in 1989, when the Dukhan reservoir Power Water Injection (PWI) project began, to address the problem of rising water levels in the reservoirs. PWI helped to enhance oil recovery and maintain reservoir pressure in the Dukhan field. Meanwhile, the Fahahil compression station began operations in 1992, to pressurise the Khuff reservoir with surplus North Field gas and help stabilise production. Progress continued throughout the late 1990s and early years of this decade, with several major enhancements – including the two-stage Arab D project to develop the production of gas and condensates, inaugurated by the Emir of Qatar in 1998.[7]

The Dukhan Gas Lift project was planned in 1999 to help maintain crude oil production.[10] The implementation is still in progress and is set to supply gas to approximately 300 wells in the area. Also forthcoming is Phase VI of the Powered Water Injection (PWI) project, which will increase the number of PWI stations from two to three and result in greater PWI capacity – rising from 538,000 to 708,000 barrels of water per day.[7]

The modern-day city of Dukhan evolved from the main oil camp and ensuing offshoot settlements that were established during the 20th century. In 2003, QR3 bn worth of projects were launched to develop the city. In 2012, a five-year development project on the city was announced by the chairman of Qatar Petroleum with a start date of 2013. The five-year development project was supposed to include a new school however due to budget cuts, following the falling oil prices, this plan was scrapped.[22]

Al Khotba Mosque, erected in 1942, is one of the oldest mosques in Dukhan. Its creation was planned shortly after the oil camp was established. It is noted for its unique decorative elements. The minaret, situated in the north-east section, lies on a square base and is barrel-shaped. An outdoor prayer area is accessible through six pathways in the courtyard, while the prayer hall has three entrances leading from the outdoor area.[24]

Rainbow in the Rawdat Jarrah depression north-east from Dukhan

Dukhan is served by several recreational facilities. One of the oldest recreation clubs in the city is Dukhan Recreation Club (DRC), formerly known as Dukhan Fields Club until 1988. It has a swimming centre, a garden, a conference centre, a library, a sports lounge, and an indoor stadium. It plays host to several community functions, such as the yearly Dukhan Women's Association handicraft exhibition, school events and sports events.[25]

Dukhan public beach

Jinan Recreation Club serves the city as a multi-recreational facility. It contains a library, a party hall, numerous sports facilities, and a cinema.[26]

A fitness club exists in the city, but it is exclusive to Qatar Petroleum employees. Facilities are gender-segregated.[27]

There is a water sports club in the community called Dukhan Water Sports (previously known as Dukhan Sailing Club). It was formed in the 1960s, and currently offers services such as powerboat sports, jet skiing and windsurfing. Events hosted by the club include an annual sailing regatta and an annual raft race.[28] Dukhan also has a golf club; its facilities include a practice range, a lounge and a club house.[29]

Dukhan Cinema opened in 1982. It has a 620-seating capacity and features four weekly multilingual shows. It also facilitates community functions and drama classes for Dukhan English School.[30]

Dukhan Highway leading from Dukhan to Doha

The first road in Dukhan was built in 1940 to connect the oil camp to Doha.[31] Travel by car to the capital took approximately 3 hours. The only other form of transport to the capital at this time was by boat through Zekrit jetty, located 7 miles (11 km) away from the camp.[32] A second road was built in 1948 to connect Dukhan to Umm Bab and Mesaieed. In the 1970s, the Salwa Road was developed to link all four of the aforementioned areas. The total road system was 2.2 square kilometres (0.85 sq mi) by the 1990s.[31]

In 2014, Dukhan Highway, the road linking Dukhan to Doha, was reconstructed by the Public Works Authority as part of a $384.5 m project.[33]

Dukhan Airport, constructed in the late 1930s, was Qatar's first-ever airport but was eventually made obselete by the Doha International Airport, opened in 1959.[34] The airport grounds were left in ruins with some buildings (like the control tower) preserved.[35] This airport is not related to the new Dukhan / Tamim Airbase, which was built in 2018.[36]

Jebel Dukhan is a range of uniquely shaped hills varying from 100 to 300 ft. above the level of the surrounding country, the surface being light sandy soil with a lot of loose stone.[56]

The Dukhan Oil Field is situated on the Dukhan anticline, a group of folds which runs in a NNW to SSE direction parallel with the western coast.[57] The Dukhan anticline, with its thin lengthened structure and moderately steep dips stands out from the greater part of the neighboring folds. This has prompted some geologists to associate its formation with deep-seated salt movement.[58] The overall length of the anticline is roughly 80 km above the lowest closing contour.[59] Jebel Nakhsh lies at the southern boundary of the anticline.[60] The Dukhan anticline demonstrates a range in the extremity of folding of along its length, the folding of the northern part being more pronounced than the southern.[61]

A Bedouin herding his camels in Dukhan, photographed in 2006

Pastoralism has historically been dominant among the nomads of the area as many areas of Dukhan offer suitable grazing territory for camels. Common flora in the area used for grazing include zygophyllum qatarense and vachellia tortilis.[49]

Once oil activities commenced, grazing camels often suffered ill-effects from oil pollution and litter. Some camels unknowingly consume residue and waste material left over from oil extraction and fall sick. Furthermore, camels may come into contact with sensitive infrastructure, such as switches for oil wells and fences. Incidents have been recorded of camels causing leakages in oil wells, turning off oil wells and injuring themselves on such installations. It was reported in 1992 that oftentimes, camels crossing the roads around Dukhan were the cause of fatal motor accidents, particularly at night. In the early days of Dukhan's oil operations, livestock owners would be compensated by Qatar Petroleum for any incidents resulting in the death of their camels, however, this precedent was overruled in 1985, with the new official position stating that pastoralists were to be held responsible for their livestock.[62]

The buffer zone of the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve starts at a point slightly north of the city.[63]

The following is climate data for Dukhan obtained from the Qatar Statistics Authority.