Elixir Energy Ltd., Adelaide, has flowed gas and water to surface for the first time in its Nomgon coal seam gas exploration project in southern Mongolia.
The company reported that fluids flowed to surface from four separately tested zones in its Nomgon-6 well. The presence of methane was recorded from all four zones using a hand-held gas meter.
Cumulative water production rate from the four zones was 280 b/d.
Nomgon-6 was drilled to a total depth of 501 m and intersected 84 m of coal.
Elixir said four air-assisted drill stem tests (DST) were performed over the 100-series coal. The DSTs comprised an air-assisted flow test, a conventional flow test, and an injectivity fall-off test.
Methane concentrations of up to 25,000 parts per million were measured over a background of zero (uncalibrated).
Data gathered from these tests will now be fed directly into the planning of a long-term pilot production testing program which is planned for 2022, the company said. In the meantime Nomgon-6 has been suspended and will be used as a monitoring well in the coming long-term test.
Elixir said its exploration work in the recently-discovered Richcairn subbasin has been proceeding in parallel with the Nomgon work.
Richcairn-2S, about 25km northeast of Nomgon-6, reached a depth of 801 m and logged 8 m of coal and 9 m of highly carbonaceous mudstone. This was followed by nearby Richcairn-3S which reached a depth of 800 m and logged 13 m of coal.
The company plans to follow this work up with Richcairn-4S in the same cluster while a second rig will move to drill the Bag-1S exploration well in a separate area about 70 km to the east.
A third rig has spudded the delayed Richcairn West-1S about 35 km west of Richcairn-4S.
At the same time, the company is running a new 300 km 2D seismic survey in the region and has acquired about 132 km (44%) so far.
Elixir has a 100% interest in the overall Nomgon IX coal seam gas production sharing contract.