By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 12 -- Algerian state oil firm Sonatrach, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., and their partners Wednesday reported a further oil find on Block 404 in Algeria's prolific Berkine basin.
The BKNE-AAC-A well was drilled to 11,200 ft TD and found 36 ft of net oil pay in the Upper TAGI formation. The well, which lies in the Berkine North East field exploitation license area, flowed 3,400 b/d of 40° gravity oil on test through a 40/64-in. choke with a wellhead pressure of 620 psia.
The discovery follows earlier successes on Block 404 with Hassi Berkine North East (HBNE-1), Sif Fatima South West (SFSW-1) and, most recently, Sif Fatima South West appraisal well (SFSW-2) (OGJ Online, Apr. 2, 2003).
Partners in the discovery are Maersk Olie Algeriet AS—a unit of Denmark's Mærsk Olie & Gas AS—and ENI SPA unit ENI Oil (Algeria) Ltd.
SFSW-2 was drilled to 10,840 ft TD and confirmed the extension of the field. The well also encountered a new pay zone in overlying TAGS sands. Test options on the well are currently being evaluated, the partners said. Earlier test rates reported for the SFSW-1 and HBNE-1 wells were 2,689 b/d and 4,092 b/d of oil, respectively.
"We have drilled a total of seven exploratory wells in Algeria since our exploration drilling program resumed in September 2002, and we plan to drill two more by yearend, both [on] Block 404," said Tony Meyer, Anadarko vice-president, International and Alaska Operations.
