DNO International ASA, Oslo, reported that additional oil has been discovered in Benenan field on the Erbil license in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The company said the Benenan-3 well has encountered an additional 210-m oil column in the Najmeh reservoir. The find is expected to double the field’s gross 2P oil in place volumes to 600-700 million bbl.
Benenan-3 produced 800-1,000 b/d of 12-16° gravity oil from an open-hole test in the Lower Najmeh interval, having earlier confirmed movable oil from an open hole test in the Bekhme formation (OGJ Online, Sept. 11, 2012). The Bekhme formation is currently producing in the company's Bastora-1A long-term test well in the neighboring Bastora field, and the Upper Najmeh previously tested as productive in the Benenan field discovery and appraisal wells.
Benenan-3 was originally designed as a horizontal producer in the Upper Najmeh formation with a deeper deviated exploratory probe. The well will now be completed as a deviated well capable of producing from several Najmeh intervals as well as from the Bekhme formation, DNO reported. The Benenan and Bastora field development program is continuing with a second development well scheduled for mid-2013.
DNO holds a 40% working interest and is the operator of the Erbil license.
