Patos-Marinza heavy oil field in Albania is producing 13,400 b/d of oil, and steam injection is to start in the last quarter of 2011 at a pilot thermal program in the southwest part of the field.
Of the 1,750 b/d of reported shut-in production in early July, 800 b/d is back on production and the additional oil inventory available for sale June 30 was sold during the month of July, reflecting record sales of 494,000 bbl. The oil brings Brent price, lately at a 27% premium to West Texas Intermediate crude.
A new service rig was delivered in early August, and another is due for delivery in October.
The vertical delineation well is drilling near total depth. Several cores have been cut, and the rig will spud the first of two horizontal thermal wells once casing has been set in the delineation well. The horizontal wells are targeting the thick Driza 1 sandstone, where visual core inspection shows the zone to have excellent porosity and to be fully saturated with oil.