Cairn India Ltd. plans to drill more than 450 wells over the next 3 years on its Barmer basin block in Rajasthan, India, where it is producing from five oil fields and recently revived exploration.
In a financial report, Cairn said the drilling total would include 100 exploration and appraisal wells. After receiving government clarification that exploratory drilling is allowed on development blocks, the company in February spudded its first exploratory well on the Rajasthan block in more than 4 years (OGJ Online, Feb. 26, 2013).
In the financial report it said evaluations of the well, Raageshwari-South-1, indicated an oil column of about 10 m in the Dharvi Dungar formation.
This well made 26 discoveries total on the block, designated RJ-ON-90/1. Cairn said its exploration program aims to extend proven plans and test new plays.
Cairn has two drilling and two completion rigs on the block and expects the arrival of two more drilling rigs this quarter. It plans to sign contracts for five more rigs later this year.
It also is tendering for additional 3D seismic acquisition, aiming to have seismic coverage over more than half the block.
Field development
With 30% partner Oil & Natural Gas Corp., the company started up Aishwariya field in March, bringing production from the Mangala-Bhagyam-Aishwariya (MBA) complex and two smaller oil fields on the Rajasthan block to a permitted level of 175,000 b/d. It expects production to reach 200,000-215,000 b/d by next year, subject to approvals.
It has completed a polymer flood pilot at Mangala field and submitted a plan for a full polymer flood to ONGC. It estimates direct operating costs in the area at $2.40/bbl.
At Mangala, Cairn plans to drill 48 infill wells to extend plateau production, accommodate the polymer flood, and boost ultimate recovery.
At Baghyam field, oil-in-place volumes have been higher than Cairn expected, but deliverabilities of individual wells have been lower. Sixty-six of 81 wells specified in the field development plan have been drilled, but more than the planned total will be needed. Approvals are in place for 30 more wells.
Seven development wells have been drilled in Aishwariya field, and more are planned.
Total production from the two other fields, Raageshwari and Saraswati, is more than 500 b/d.
