Griffiths Energy International Inc., Calgary, has reported progress delineating Badila and Mangara oil fields in southwestern Chad and constructing facilities for oil export expected to begin later this year.
Meanwhile, the company's 320 sq km 3D seismic survey covering Badila field and nearby Bitanda ridge exploratory prospects is on schedule to be completed in May before onset of the rainy season.
The company estimated that combined initial production capacity from the Badila-1 and 2 wells will load the export facilities at a rate of 14,000 b/d when production begins. Target is the second quarter of 2013.
Maximum restricted natural flow rates were 3,300 b/d of 28-30° gravity oil with 5% water cut and casinghead gas at 105 scf/stb at Badila-2 and 4,025 b/d at Badila-1. As Badila-1 revealed the high productivity and reserves potential of Cretaceous C sands, the test focus at Badila-2 was the Cretaceous D. A combined 94.5 m of net pay was opened across Cretaceous D1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 sands and the Cretaceous E1 sand.
Extensive coring and wireline logging suggest 195 m of net oil pay at Badila-2. The net oil pay includes 101 m in five Lower Cretaceous C sands, 92 m in eight Lower Cretaceous D sands, and 2.5 m in Lower Cretaceous E sands.
Badila-1 has 123 m of net oil pay in the Lower Cretaceous C and D sands. Only 23.5 m in the C sands was perforated for the test due to mechanical conditions of the well.
Badila-3, drilled to appraise the field's northwest flank and cored at several intervals, will be completed in coming weeks. Petrophysical analysis suggest the well has up to 71.3 m of net oil pay, including up to 27.1 m in four Lower Cretaceous C sands and up to 44.2 m in nine Lower Cretaceous D sands.
The Mangara-4 well was spudded on Mar. 13 as a Cretaceous C and D development well and an exploratory test of Cretaceous E. Projected total depth is 3,300 m.
Prior operators drilled three wells at Mangara between 1978 and 2007. Each encountered oil in multiple stacked reservoirs and were flow-tested at rates between 300 b/d and 1,875 b/d. Griffiths re-entered one of the wells in March 2012 and achieved a natural flow rate of 800 b/d from the C reservoirs and confirmed the suspected formation damage from the original drilling.
Previous operators drilled three penetrations of varying depths of the Cretaceous E sands. The E sands had good hydrocarbon shows across a gross 750-m interval with a potential gross section of 900+ m based on seismic estimates. In addition, a drillstem test across a 9-m interval at the top of the E sands showed movable hydrocarbons with an undamaged calculated flow capacity of 220 b/d of 38.9° oil.
Civil work continues to progress to prepare for more development drilling at Mangara field, which is 100 km northwest of Badila (see map, OGJ Online, June 4, 2012). The Badila early production facility is to be ready for oil in May 2013.
As previously disclosed, the connection between the company's Badila field and the COTCO/TOTCO export pipeline is expected to be fully completed in the second quarter of 2013. A modification agreement to allow a Mangara-Badila blend was signed this month. A Mangara field pipeline connection is to be completed in the third quarter.
