By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 3 -- A group led by Repsol YPF SA discovered its fifth oil field on 4,300 sq km Block NC 186 in the Murzuk basin in the Sahara Desert 800 km south of Tripoli, Libya.
The I1 well flowed 2,060 b/d of 40° gravity oil from the Ordovician Memuniyat sandstone at 1,717 m. Repsol YPF said the oil is "amongst the best quality on the market."
Repsol YPF is operator with 32% interest. Total SA has 24%. Other participants are Norsk Hydro AS and Libya National Oil Co.
I1 is the third well drilled in the block's second exploration phase, which began in May 2003. The group's four previous discoveries on the block have a combined 400 million bbl of light oil recoverable. A and D fields went on production in the past 2 years and reached a combined 45,000 b/d, and B and H are to be developed shortly.
The group initiated Murzuk basin production in December 1996 with giant El Sharara field, which now produces 200,000 b/d of light, sweet oil. Repsol YPF's net Libyan production averaged 21,308 b/d in 2004, and its net proved oil reserves were 86.9 million bbl at yearend. OMV AG, a member of the Murzuk basin production group, said its Libyan production is 27,500 b/d.