Hunt-Afren Iraq Kurdistan oil discovery cuts more pay

July 19, 2012
A group led by Hunt Oil Middle East has tested a combined flow rate of 13,584 b/d of oil from three zones at the deepened Simrit-2 well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with nine more zones to be drillstem tested.

A group led by Hunt Oil Middle East has tested a combined flow rate of 13,584 b/d of oil from three zones at the deepened Simrit-2 well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with nine more zones to be drillstem tested.

Afren PLC, which has a 20% interest in the Ain Sifni PSC, said the well has been drilled to 3,800 m and encountered 460 m of net oil pay.

After encountering an estimated 409 m of net oil pay throughout Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic reservoirs to the initially planned total depth of 3,700 m, the group elected to deepen the well to 3,800 m to test for further prospectivity. Data analysis indicates the continual presence of light oil shows throughout the deepened section. No oil-water contact has been established in the target reservoirs.

On the three DSTs run so far in Triassic Kurra Chine, the well flowed 4,282 b/d of oil and 10 MMscfd of gas with 1,472 psi flowing tubing pressure at 3,700-3,800 m, 3,102 b/d and 10 MMcfd with 1,426 psi FTP at 3,636-3,650 m and 3,654-68 m, and 6,200 b/d and 3.5 MMcfd with 800 psi FTP at 3,453-3,524 m. The oil is 39° gravity.

The group will move in a service rig for the rest of the DSTs, and the drilling rig will move to spud the Simrit-3 exploratory well in August.

Interests in the Ain Sifni PSC are Hunt Oil Middle East 60%, Afren 20%, and the KRG 20%.