A group led by General Exploration Partners Inc. has tested the Atrush-2 appraisal well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq at the combined rate of 42,212 b/d of oil limited by test equipment capacity.
Atrush-2, 3.1 km east of and downdip from the Atrush-1 discovery well, found the Jurassic Barsarin-Sargelu-Alan-Mus (BSAM) reservoir oil-down-to 97 m deeper than in the discovery well. Reservoir intervals in the Jurassic Adiyah and the upper part of the Butmah formation are also oil-bearing.
Separate cased-hole drillstem tests were conducted over three of the formations in the BSAM reservoir. Rates totaling 42,212 b/d of 27° gravity oil were achieved. No test had measurable amounts of formation water.
Separate tests were also conducted in the Butmah in open hole and Adaiyah in cased hole.
The highly fractured upper part of the Butmah flowed as much as 1,450 b/d of fluid on nitrogen lift and towards the end of the test was producing 100% 9° gravity oil. A reservoir zone in the Adaiyah anhydrite flowed as much as 650 b/d of 11° gravity dry oil.
In accordance with the requirement of the production sharing contract, GEP has presented a notice of discovery to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Kurdistan for the Adaiyah and Butmah.
GEP spudded AT-2 on May 23 and reached the planned total depth of 1,750 m in 49 days, on time and 30% under budget.
Meanwhile in the eastern part of the Atrush block, the second phase of seismic acquisition was completed in August 2012, providing GEP with 3D coverage of the entire block. Tender is under way for the lease of an extended well test facility with an award expected shortly. Plans are for a recompleted AT-1 to be connected to the EWTF and begin producing oil in early 2013.
GEP operates the Atrush block with an 80% working interest. Aspect Holdings LLC through its Aspect Energy International LLC subsidiary has a 66.5% interest, and ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. through its wholly owned subsidiary, ShaMaran Ventures BV, has a 33.5% interest in GEP. Marathon Oil KDV BV has 20% interest in the block.
