DNO to develop Benenan Iraq Kurdistan oil discovery

Sept. 11, 2012
DNO International ASA, Oslo, has begun multiwell development of Benenan field on the Erbil license in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

DNO International ASA, Oslo, has begun multiwell development of Benenan field on the Erbil license in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The company said the Benenan-3 well has encountered movable oil in the Bekhme formation at about 2,000 m. Tests continue to acquire more data.

Benenan-3 will be completed as a horizontal producer in the Najmeh formation. The deeper Najmeh formation was oil bearing in both the Benenan discovery and appraisal wells; the Bekhme formation, however, was not conclusively tested in those downdip wells.

Following Benenan-3, the rig will be moved to drill the Bastora-2 development well in adjacent Bastora field, also on the Erbil license (see map, OGJ, Feb. 6, 2012, p. 53). Bastora-1, the first horizontal well completed in Kurdistan, is producing from the Bekhme formation under long-term test in preparation for full field development.

Meanwhile, DNO’s Tawke-18 well, designed to increase Cretaceous production and test an exploration footwall target below the main field-bounding fault, is drilling at 2,400 m. Tawke-17, drilling at 550 m, is also designed to increase Cretaceous deliverability from the eastern flank of Tawke field and test the exploratory potential of deeper Jurassic and Triassic intervals.

DNO has mobilized a fourth rig to reenter Tawke-14 in early October for a planned sidetrack into the Cretaceous interval. Tawke-19, the last Tawke development well under the 100,000 b/d production enhancement program, is also scheduled to spud in early October.