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Friday, August 2, 2013
The hits keep adding up for Apache Corp. in Egypt, registering seven oil and gas discoveries in the Western Desert recently.
The Riviera SW-1X on the southern flank of the Abu Gharadig Basin test-flowed 5,800 bpd of oil and 2.8 Mmcf/d of gas from a Lower Bahariya sand with 24 ft of net pay. The well, located in the WD 30 Development Lease acquired in 2010, is 1.3 miles south of the Riviera field that also produces from the Upper Bahariya and Abu Roash formations. The discovery extends the known southern limit of the play in the Abu Gharadig Basin. The well is currently online and producing at restricted rates of 2,000 bpd of oil while gas rates continue to be monitored.
Another Apache discovery was the Narmer-1X. This well is a stratigraphic trap that is separated from the Neilos oil field located five miles to the east. The company said that this discovery and the Neilos field are elements of an emerging Paleozoic play pioneered in the Western Desert by Apache. The Narmer-1X, located in the Faghur Basin and the Khalda Offset Concession, encountered 85 ft of net pay in Paleozoic-aged sandstone and test-flowed approximately 1,200 bpd of oil and 400 Mcf/d of gas with a trace of water. Although appraisal wells will be required to accurately map this new field, the stratigraphic trap is estimated to exceed 1,000 acres with analogous prospects mapped nearby. With its proximity to existing infrastructure, the well is expected to be put on production quickly following development lease approval.
Next on the discovery line-up is the Jade N-2X, located 1.5 miles to the northeast of the Jade field in the western Matruh Basin within the Matruh Development Lease. This well encountered 35 ft of net pay in the Cretaceous-aged Alam El Buieb 3G sandstone. The zone was perforated and tested over a 74-ft interval, producing up to 146 bpd of condensate and 11.2 Mmcf/d of gas at original reservoir pressure.
The company’s WKAL-T-1X on the West Kalabsha Concession in the Faghur Basin logged a total of 32 ft of net pay in the Safa formation. The well was tested in one of three zones of Upper Safa sandstone that flowed 2,900 bpd of oil and 2.8 Mmcf/d of gas. Also in the West Kalabsha Concession, the WKAL-N-3X appraisal well successfully extended the WKAL-N field to the west. The well flowed on test at a rate of approximately 3,500 bpd of oil and 3.2 Mmcf/d of gas from the Safa Formation. The company said it has submitted development lease applications to EGPC for both of these Kalabsha wells.
On the Siwa Concession the SIWA-R-1X tested 1,900 bpd of oil per day from the Safa sandstone. The well encountered 73 ft of net pay with the lowest known oil corresponding to the mapped structural closure. This discovery is 3.5 miles south of the nearest production and is expected to be put on production immediately following EGPC approval of a development lease. The discovery extends the southern limits of the productive fairway and is one of a number of analogous structures expected to be tested.
The Buchis W-2X was drilled in the Buchis Development Lease on the northeastern margin of the Faghur Basin. The well tested a three-way closure adjacent and up-thrown to the Pepi oil field with multiple Cretaceous, Jurassic and Paleozoic objectives. The Buchis W-2X encountered 44 ft of stacked pay in the Cretaceous-aged Alam El Buieb formation and additional pay in the Paleozoic-aged Zeitoun and Basur formations. The well tested approximately 1,700 bpd of oil per day from the AEB-3D sandstone.
On the Khalda Development Lease the Falak NW-1X logged 114 ft of stacked net pay in the Safa sandstone. Apache tested 1,200 bpd of oil and 6.1 Mmcf/d of gas from multiple Safa sands. A completion string is currently being run in the well.
“These seven discoveries are located in four different geologic basins and six different concessions,” said Thomas M. Maher, Egypt Region VP and GM. “The Faghur Basin yielded four of the discoveries with one each in the Shushan, Matruh and Abu Gharadig basins. All seven discoveries have been tested and Riviera SW-1X is already producing. Our exploration and development program in Egypt continues apace, with an average of 27 drilling rigs operating during Q2.”
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