By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 27 -- Apache Corp.'s latest two discoveries in Egypt's Western Desert tested at a combined rate of 70 MMcfd of natural gas and 2,330 b/d of condensate from prolific deep Jurassic sands.
The Mihos-1X discovery on the Matruh concession, which the company operates with a 100% contractor-interest, logged 191 feet of net pay in the Alam El Bueb (AEB) Cretaceous and Jurassic Upper and Lower Safa horizons between 12,350-15,700 ft. Workers perforated the Lower Safa at 15,385-420 feet, testing at a daily rate of 41.8 MMcf of gas and 1,419 bbl of condensate on a one-inch choke with 2,378 psi of flowing wellhead pressure. The discovery did not require hydraulic-fracture stimulation, officials said.
The Mihos discovery proves up a 1,500-acre trap in the Lower Safa reservoir with a gross hydrocarbon column height in excess of 250 feet. Apache plans to tie the well into the Matruh manifold, running directly to its Tarek gas plant 7 1/2 miles to the east. It is expected to commence production in early September, bringing the Tarek plant to full capacity of 100 MMcfd.
The Imhotep-1X discovery on the Khalda Offset concession, which Apache operates with a 100% contractor interest, flow-tested at a rate of 28.4 MMcfd of gas and 911 b/d of condensate following hydraulic- fracture stimulation.
Two sands in the Jurassic-age Lower Safa formation between 15,292-392 feet were tested on a two-inch choke with 1,385 psi of flowing wellhead pressure. The well logged 76 feet of net pay; another 22 feet of possible upper and lower Safa pay were calculated in the well.
Lower Safa sands in Imhotep are better developed, thicker, and 160 feet structurally higher than in Apache's Matruh field three miles north of the discovery. These sands are equivalent in age to those at Qasr and Obaiyed, the two largest gas fields in Egypt's Western Desert. Matruh's cumulative production since September 2002 from three wells in the main-pay Jurassic Upper Safa formation has exceeded 17.4 bcf of gas and 1.9 million bbl of oil.
Imhotep is on production, flowing through Apache's Tarek gas plant at a rate of 31.8 MMcfd of gas and 1,789 b/d of condensate.
