Frac triples output of old Argentine well

President Energy PLC, Leeds, UK, is considering analogous work in Rio Negro Province, Argentina, after hydraulic fracturing of a tight formation tripled production from an oil well drilled in 2012.

Production from the PFO-16 well in Puesto Flores field jumped to 175 b/d of oil from 50 b/d after fracturing of the Jurassic Precuyo formation.

President said the operation, which included more than 100,000 lb of proppant, might have been the first hydraulic fracturing of the Precuyo in Puesto Flores field.

The PFO-16 was producing solely from the formation before the frac. Flowback and testing are in progress.

The company will monitor the well for a month.

“With these preliminary results, President has now commenced planning for other frac candidates in existing wells across the company’s Rio Negro assets where the Precuyo is either at virgin or at a less depleted pressure than was encountered in PFO-16,” President said. “In such instances, all other things being equal, the production rates post-frac of such candidates would reasonably be expected to be significantly higher than in a depleted reservoir such as at PFO-16.”

President operates Puesto Flores field with a 90% working interest in partnership with the provincial company EDHIPSA.

Production from the field, initially developed by Chevron Corp., peaked in 2011 at 3,856 b/d of oil.

Since taking over the field in September 2017, President has been working over wells and integrating the water-injection system.

Also in Rio Negro Province, President holds interests in the Estancia Vieja, Puesto Prado, and Las Bases concessions.