Kazakhstan

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 9 – Tethys Petroleum Ltd., Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK, won an extension of the Akkulka exploration contract in Kazakhstan until Mar. 10, 2011, which will allow further testing of deep and shallow prospects.

AKD01, the company’s first deep exploration well on the block, went to TD of 11,200 ft and found two zones interpreted to contain movable hydrocarbons.

The lower zone, a dolomite of Jurassic age, has yielded 1,500 bbl of 45-48° gravity oil in an unspecified period and appears regional extensive. The zone is interpreted to have 27 ft of net pay with 16.9% porosity. It unloaded fluid on cleanup at a rate above 1,000 b/d but was unable to sustain continuous flow and is to be acidized.

The upper zone is interpreted to be a clean sandstone of Lower Cretaceous age with 29 ft of net pay of 23% porosity. No hydrocarbon-water contact is observed. It is to be tested after the lower zone and placed on long-term production test.

Analysis of seismic data shot by the company, other recently reprocessed seismic data, and data from the AKD01 well has resulted in a new interpretation of the AKD01 structure giving a most likely area of 60 sq km.

Meanwhile, gas is ready to be produced from the Central Akkulka shallow gas field, second phase of the Kyzyloi-Akkulka gas development when officials approve the contract and technical problems with an underground storage field are solved.