Egypt

Nov. 11, 2009
The first development well in BP PLC-operated NS377 oil field on the Shadwan Development Lease in Egypt’s Gulf of Suez cut 144 m of gross oil column in the Miocene Kareem formation.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 11
– The first development well in BP PLC-operated NS377 oil field on the Shadwan Development Lease in Egypt’s Gulf of Suez cut 144 m of gross oil column in the Miocene Kareem formation.

TD is 2,873 m measured depth, 1,800 m true vertical depth. Production is to start by the second quarter of 2010 with crude oil pipelined 7 km northwest to Petrobel’s Ras Ghara processing center. A second development well is to be drilled in 2010.

The extended reach well spudded from shore bottomed 150 m north of the GH377-1 Kareem formation 1987 discovery well drilled by Amoco Production Co. The discovery well cut 120 m of gross pay with 59 m of net pay, said 20% interest owner Beach Petroleum Ltd., Adelaide. TriOcean Energy Co. has 30%.

Meanwhile, development drilling at NS385 oil field, offshore 4 km southeast of the NS377 field, is to start in 2010 with an extended reach well from shore. The two fields are estimated to contain 11 million bbl recoverable.

The rig that drilled NS377-3 is to be moved 4 km southeast to drill the Teen-1 exploration well, which will be deviated from shore to test an offshore Kareem prospect.

This well will also be drilled as a deviated well from onshore to offshore and will test the potential of Kareem Formation sandstones at the Teen prospect.

The North Shadwan Joint Venture said the NS394-3 (Burtocal North) offshore exploration well, located to evaluate the potential of a fault block adjacent to the 2007 NS394-1A Nubia formation oil discovery, failed to encounter significant hydrocarbons and is to be plugged.