Gulfsands to develop Khurbet East in Syria

June 7, 2007
Gulfsands Petroleum PLC, London, has suspended for future production the Khurbet East-1 discovery well on Block 26 in Syria after conducting a drillstem test (OGJ Online, Mar. 28, 2007).

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, June 7 -- Gulfsands Petroleum PLC, London, has suspended for future production the Khurbet East-1 discovery well on Block 26 in Syria after conducting a drillstem test (OGJ Online, Mar. 28, 2007).

During the test, the well flowed 35º gravity oil to the surface at the rate of 478 b/d from a 102-m interval of Triassic Kurrachine dolomite at 3,098 m, the deepest of four reservoirs indicating hydrocarbons. GOR was 2 Mscf/bbl.

Gulfsands said wireline logs in the discovery well indicated 26.4 m of net oil pay in Cretaceous Chilou at 1,319 m and 22.5 m of net oil pay in Cretaceous Massive at 1,917 m. The company also cored 16 m of net pay in Tertiary Butmah at 2,850 m and recovered natural gas.

It refrained from testing the shallower zones in order to preserve mechanical integrity of the well for production.

Gulfsands, operator with a 50% interest in the block, will drill the Khurbet East-2 appraisal well immediately to test Cretaceous and Tertiary targets.

It plans to shoot a 3D seismic survey over the Khurbet East structure, a large fault-bound structural culmination with closure mapped at multiple intervals. Areal extent is 15 sq km at the level of the Kurrachine dolomite formation.

The discovery well is 12 km southwest of Souedieh oil field and 12 km south of Roumelan oil field. Development can use existing infrastructure.

Emerald Energy PLC, London, holds the remaining 50% interest in the block through its SNG Overseas subsidiary.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].