Oryx details Demir Dagh development in Iraq Kurdistan

Aug. 7, 2013
Oryx Petroleum Corp., Calgary, has laid out its plans to explore and develop the Demir Dagh license in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where it targets 7,000-9,000 b/d of oil production to start in the second quarter of 2014.

Oryx Petroleum Corp., Calgary, has laid out its plans to explore and develop the Demir Dagh license in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where it targets 7,000-9,000 b/d of oil production to start in the second quarter of 2014.

Oryx, license operator with 65% participating and working interest, said its appraisal plan awaiting approval by the Kurdistan Regional Government calls for recompleting the Demir Dagh-2 discovery well and drilling three appraisal wells.

The three appraisal wells are expected to produce from the Cretaceous, and at least one of them will retest the Jurassic and Triassic. The drilling should further establish the field structure and the extent of hydrocarbon fill and potentially result in larger reserves and resources to be booked.

Preliminary lab results conducted by a third party have confirmed field analysis conducted during the testing of DD-2 that the crude oil in the Cretaceous has a low gas-oil ratio, low sulfur content, and low viscosity. Oil gravity is 23.1°, lighter than the 20-22° measured in field tests.

Should the 23.1° gravity be confirmed by the final results of the lab analysis, the oil in the Cretaceous, where the corporation has currently booked all of its reserves and 80% of its contingent resources, would qualify for classification as a medium crude.

The company would run extended well tests at DD-2 and the three appraisal wells to establish reservoir performance and pressure behavior.

Oryx plans to shoot 3D seismic on the Demir Dagh structure in the first half of 2014 to gain data to further refine the development plan and is in advanced stages of a tender process for the lease and installation of a 25,000-30,000 b/d early production facility.

The second and third appraisal wells would raise production to design capacity of the EPF, and Oryx is discussing options to monetize production from the EPF with the KRG. The company will ship production by truck or pipeline. The Khurmala-Faysh Khabur pipeline scheduled to be completed before the end of 2013 would pass 800 m from the DD-2 wellsite.

Following a successful appraisal program, Oryx would declare the discovery commercial, run two rigs to drill development wells, and construct a 100,000 b/d permanent production facility to start up in 2016. That facility could be expanded in modules.

Oryx plans to test two or more potential hydrocarbon-bearing zones at its Zey Gawra exploratory well on Hawler. ZEG-1 went to a total depth of 4,407 m on Aug. 5. It targets light oil potential in Lower Jurassic and Triassic and heavier oil potential in Tertiary and Cretaceous.

Oryx spudded the Ain Al Safra exploratory well on Hawler in early June. AAS-1 targets Lower Jurassic and Triassic light oil and Cretaceous heavy oil. The well is at 2,565 m enroute to 4,150 m.

The company expects to spud the Banan exploratory well in this year’s third quarter. BAN-1 targets Lower Jurassic and Triassic light oil and Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic heavy oil.

BAN-1 is 8 km from DD-2, and the two structures share a common spill point based on current interpretation of existing 2D seismic and observations of the DD-2 well. Results of the BAN-1 well could greatly affect Demir Dagh field development plans.

Oryx plans to shoot 210 line-km of 2D seismic to cover a December 2012 boundary extension to cover the extended part of the Banan structure.

Meanwhile, Oryx took a $31.1 million impairment charge in the quarter ended June 30 for the Mateen exploratory well on the Sindi Amedi license in Iraq.

A 145 line-km 2D seismic survey that began in April on the license is to be complete by mid-August. The shoot will cover the Gara East and Tawke East prospects. The data and results of wells adjacent to Sindi Amedi should facilitate informed selection of one or more targets to be drilled in 2014.