By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 23 -- Tullow Oil PLC reported the drilling and testing success of the Mputa-3 appraisal well on Block 2 in Uganda.
Mputa-3, drilled to 973 m TD about 1.5 km southeast of the 2006 Mputa-1 discovery well, is the second of three wells in the company's Kaiso-Tonya area appraisal program (OGJ Online, Aug. 15, 2006). The well's primary objectives were to confirm the presence of oil in order to underpin the reserves and field development plan and then to confirm the lateral extent and quality of the reservoir sands to verify the geological model.
The well intersected three separate oil-bearing zones with a total net pay of 19.5 m, the best result to date in the Kaiso-Tonya area, Tullow said. The first two zones, about 5 m each, were encountered at 803 m and 837 m respectively. These zones were not production tested, but pressure testing and sampling indicated moveable oil with very good permeabilities.
The third zone, a 10-m sandstone at 867 m, was production tested for 2 days at an average rate of 1,986 b/d of 33° gravity oil through a ¾-in. choke. Pressure data acquired during the test confirmed that the sands are extensive, with permeability exceeding 1 darcy.
Well data also indicate that all three zones could flow at a combined rate of more than 4,000 b/d of oil, Tullow said.
The well is being suspended as a future producer.
Upon the well's completion, the rig will move to the Mputa-4 location, 1.2 km northeast. Data from the Mputa-3 well will be integrated with the results from the Mputa-4 well and the 3D seismic which is to be acquired by yearend.
Tullow Chief Executive Aidan Heavey said the appraisal program is progressing well and remains on schedule to sanction the early production system in this year's fourth quarter, which will enable production start-up in 2009 (OGJ Online, May 30, 2007).
Tullow is the operator of Block 2 and holds 100% interest.
