Somalia petroleum system seen in Shabeel well
Horn Petroleum Corp., Vancouver, BC, said its Shableel well in the Dharoor Valley in Puntland, Somalia, encountered two potential pay zones that confirm the existence of a working petroleum system.
Horn terminated Shabeel at 3,470 m in metamorphic basement topped at 3,430 m. It is suspended for future testing.
The well encountered potential net pay sands in the Jurassic Adigrat formation at 3,246-3,430 m, several of which exhibited oil and gas shows. Log analysis indicates up to 3 m of potential hydrocarbon pay in several thin sand units.
The well previously encountered 12 to 20-m of hydrocarbon pay in the Upper Cretaceous Jesomma formation.
Horn will move the rig to the Shabeel North location 3.5 km north, where the primary objective will be to evaluate the Jesomma sands that appear to be oil-bearing at the Shabeel location. Later the company will return to Shabeel to test the Jesomma once test equipment arrives in Somalia.
Horn operates Shabeel with 60% working interest in the Dharoor and Nugaal permits. Range Resources Ltd. and Red Emperor Resources NL have 20% each.
Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration
Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.
Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.
