Exxon Neftegas Ltd. has given a progress report on its continuing $200-300 million resource appraisal effort covering the Sakhalin I project in Russia's Far East.
The Exxon Corp. unit, operator of the Sakhalin I Consortium, updated progress on 1996 results and unveiled plans for 1997 under the appraisal program.
Exxon said the group plans to drill three additional appraisal wells in Arkutun-Dagi field, as well as acquire additional 3D seismic on Chayvo, a second offshore field in the Sakhalin I area (OGJ, Sept. 2, p. 95). Seismic will be shot from mid-June to mid-October when pack ice is not present.
The first well to be drilled under a June 10, 1996, production-sharing agreement in Russia, 5 Dagi, has been completed, Exxon said (OGJ, Sept. 23, p. 46).
The 5 Dagi well, drilled to a total depth of 8,200 ft in the Sea of Okhotsk, was completed Oct. 14.
Results confirmed oil reserves in the central portion of the field, Exxon said, without disclosing specific test results. Core samples and other data from the well are being analyzed, the company said.
1997 plans
Two of the wells planned during 1997 will be drilled with the Rosneft-Sakhalinmorneftegas Okha jack up under contract to the group.
The group will hire another rig to drill the third well.
Design studies for the first phase of development of the Arkutun-Dagi field are also planned for 1997.
Under consideration is a 40-slot, ice-resistant platform to be set in about 150 ft of water to develop oil reserves in the central portion of the field.
Phase one development also will include provisions for oil export and domestic sales.
Environmental, ice, and soil data gathering and studies will be undertaken during 1997 to finalize platform substructure design criteria and provide data required to support a field development plan.
In addition to Exxon with a 30% interest, other interest owners in the group are Japan's Sakhalin Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd. 30%, Sakhalinmorneftegas-Shelf 23%, and Rosneft-Sakhalin 17%.
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