Rhein Petroleum to spud Erfelden field well, southwest Germany

Rhein Petroleum GmbH, a subsidiary of Beacon Energy PLC, has let a contract to RED Drilling & Services GmbH for a fully crewed drilling rig for the Schwarzbach-2 development well in Erfelden field, onshore southwest Germany.

The rig is expected to mobilize in early-June 2023. The well, expected to be spudded mid-June, is targeting the Stockstadt Mitte segment which was proven by the Stockstadt Mitte-1 well (SK-M1) drilled by Exxon in 1986. This well encountered oil in the PBS sandstones and in the shallower Meletta-Schichten sands (ME).

Drilling operations are expected to take 25 days to reach 2,255m TD (1,709m TVD), with an additional 12 days scheduled for testing. The drilling pad has been prepared and the 20-in. conductor pipe has been set at 85 m.

Once completed, the well will be tied-in to existing production equipment at the Schwarzbach production site which will take about 12 days to complete.

Schwarzbach-2 is the first of potentially two development wells and one water well to be drilled in the Stockstadt Mitte segment over the next 18 months, the company said.

Erfelden oilfield is the most northern oil field in the Upper Rhine Graben and is comprised of four juxtaposed structural segments: the depleted Kuehkopf segment, the producing Schwarzbach Main segment, the discovered Stockstadt Mitte segment, and the unproven Schwarzbach South segment.

The Stockstadt Mitte segment contains 2P reserves of 3.784 million bbl. The Schwarzbach South segment is undrilled, with 2C contingent resources of 2.4 million bbl. This segment will be the target of future development drilling.

Rhein Petroleum is operator and owns 100% of Erfelden field.