Horizontal, shale potential seen in S. Tunisia

Nov. 19, 2010
Chinook Energy Inc., Calgary, operator of the 1.2 million acre Sud Remada permit in southeastern Tunisia, has spud the TT3 appraisal well 2.3 km southwest of its TT2 discovery northeast of Makhrouga field in the Ghadames basin.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 19
-- Chinook Energy Inc., Calgary, operator of the 1.2 million acre Sud Remada permit in southeastern Tunisia, has spud the TT3 appraisal well 2.3 km southwest of its TT2 discovery northeast of Makhrouga field in the Ghadames basin.

Projected TD is 1,500 m on the 67 sq km structure, said participant Cygam Energy Inc., Calgary. The main target is the Ordovician Bir Ben Tartar quartzite reservoir that had a 57-m hydrocarbon column in the 2008 TT2 discovery well and has already flowed 100,000 bbl of sweet, 44° gravity oil in its first year.

Other targets will be evaluated in TT3, including Triassic Tagi, Ordovician Jaffara, and the Silurian Tannezuft. Extensive coring is planned in the Bir Ben Tartar reservoir and in the Silurian Tannezuft “hot shales” that will be assessed for their unconventional reservoir qualities.

A recent study of the Silurian unconventional potential in southern Tunisia concluded that the Tannezuft “hot shales” exhibit good to very good petroleum potential with Type II kerogen and that the area around the TT structure is in the oil window, Cygam noted.

Chinook Energy, with 86% working interest in the block, has an option to use the rig for as many as two more wells. It may reenter the TT2 wellbore and drill a 1,500-3,000 ft horizontal leg to assess the potential improvement in deliverability.

After an engineering assessment of vertical and horizontal well performance, horizontal legs may also be drilled in the TT3 well and in all subsequent development wells, Cygam said.

Cygam said Chinook also advised that it hopes to have an agreement and approvals in support of the first commercial development phase early in 2011. Six other structures, including the 74 sq km El Bell structure 17 km northeast of TT2 and several leads have been identified on the block.

Cygam will participate for its 14% direct working interest in all the appraisal, development, and exploratory operations on the permit, which lies along the border with Libya.