Apache extends drilling in Egypt's Faghur basin
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 20 -- Houston independent Apache Corp. reported two oil discoveries and a significant appraisal in the Faghur basin in the far southwest of Egypt's Western Desert.
Pepi-1X, drilled 10 km south of the company’s Phiops field, flowed on test 4,216 b/d of oil and 4.9 MMcfd of natural gas from a 68-ft gross interval in the Lower Safa formation.
Buchis South-1X, also drilled 10 km south of Phiops, logged 131 ft of pay in several Cretaceous zones, including the Kharita and Alam El Buieb (AEB) sands. A test in one AEB zone flowed 1,647 b/d of oil.
The Faghur-8X step out appraisal extended the Faghur field by 2.7 km to the east. The well logged 79 ft of stacked Cretaceous pay in multiple AEB sands. A well test in one AEB sand flowed at an average rate of 2,992 b/d of oil.
The Pepi and Buchis discoveries set up several additional exploration drilling opportunities on trend, and Faghur-8X increased the size of the field and set up a number of follow-up development drilling opportunities, Apache said.
Current gross production from Faghur basin is about 24,000 bo/d. Additional infrastructure projects are expected to bring processing and transportation capacity from the basin to 40,000 bo/d before yearend. In the second quarter, Apache's gross production in Egypt totaled 181,000 bo/d and 789 MMcfd of gas. Apache's net production during the period totaled 98,500 bo/d and 388 MMcfd of gas.
This year Apache has drilled five discoveries among eight exploration wells in the Faghur basin (OGJ, July 5, 2010, p. 42). Drilling is under way on two wells, WKAL I-3X and Nebra-1X, and five additional exploration wells are planned.
Apache continues to evaluate 3D seismic surveys, including a recently completed 400 sq km survey, to identify additional exploration opportunities in the basin, which extends across portions of several Apache-operated concessions.
“The Faghur basin continues to be a successful focus area for Apache, with AEB and Safa reservoirs that have proven to be prolific oil and gas producers. These recent discoveries support the multipay potential of this oil-prone area of the Western Desert,” said Tom Voytovich, vice-president of Apache's Egypt region.
“These discoveries also provide additional evidence of the exploration potential on Apache acreage in Egypt and the benefits of working in stacked-pay areas,” he said.