OMV-operated Maari oil redevelopment brought on stream

Dec. 1, 2014
The OMV AG-operated Maari oil field redevelopment has been brought on stream in New Zealand’s offshore Taranaki basin.

The OMV AG-operated Maari oil field redevelopment has been brought on stream in New Zealand’s offshore Taranaki basin.

The first of five wells, MR-8A, began production late in November draining a previously unreached compartment in Maari field. The well was a sidetrack from an abandoned injection well and drilled horizontally into the Moki formation to a total length of 3,824 m.

OMV expects the well to be able to produce as much as 4,500 b/d of oil.

The overall redevelopment aims to revitalize existing Maari field, which originally came on stream in February 2008. It has since declined from peak production rates of around 25,000 boe/d (OGJ Online, Oct. 12, 2010).

In April the Ensco-107 drilling rig was brought to the field to carry out abandonment, workover, and new drilling. The first well was drilled into the untapped Mangahewa formation before being suspended to implement a revised completion concept.

MR-8A is the second well in the campaign. The well is producing through existing facilities. Drilling on the other three wells in the redevelopment plan will continue into 2015 and be completed by midyear.

Maari field lies in 100 m of water and lies 80 km offshore the Taranaki coast of New Zealand’s north island.

The Maari partners are OMV New Zealand 69%, Todd Maari 16%, Horizon Oil 10%, and Cue Taranaki 5%.