EOG Resources to drill two exploration wells in Oman

EOG Resources plans to drill at least two exploration wells by mid-2022 in Oman’s Block 36 as part of an exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA) it signed with the government of the Sultanate of Oman.

The block covers an area of 18,556 sq km extending across Rub Al Khali basin in the far southwest of the Sultanate. The wells are part of the initial 3-year phase of the license commitment to explore for hydrocarbons in the block.

Block 36 was awarded to APEX in 2011 (operator, 100%) and is highly underexplored with only one shallow and two deep wells (Al Hashman, Burkanah) prior to APEX’s acquisition.  Each deep well had hydrocarbon shows with over 40 m of Silurian source rock. The Silurian is one of the main source rocks that generated oil for giant fields in Saudi Arabia, such as Ghawar. In addition to the Silurian, a Mesozoic petroleum system is present over much of the block, as evidenced by a surface oil seep in the form of a conical sand mound, which was found by an APEX seismic crew near the center of the block.

Block 36 is being acquired by EOG in a transaction with Apex Oman.