Empyrean Energy to spud Jade well, offshore China
Empyrean Energy plc expects to spud the Jade well in Block 29/11 within Pearl River Mouth basin, offshore China, by end first-quarter 2022.
The well site survey is complete and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), who has a 12-month contract with rig NH9, will make the rig available to drill Jade immediately following the well currently being drilled. The company expects the Jade well to be spudded late-March or mid-April, depending on whether the current well encounters testable hydrocarbons.
The well is anticipated to take about 26 days to drill to total depth. There are no overly challenging drilling zones anticipated. If Jade intercepts a hydrocarbon zone, testing is expected to take about 2 weeks.
CNOOC EnerTech Drilling and Production Co. (CNOOC EnerTech) has been contracted to provide pre-drilling, drilling, and testing services. China Oilfield Services Ltd. (COSL) has been contracted to drill the well (OGJ Online, Nov. 11, 2021).
Empyrean is operator of the block and holds 100% working interest during the exploration phase. In the event of a commercial discovery, partner CNOOC may assume a 51% participating interest in the development and production phase.
Alex Procyk | Upstream Editor
Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
