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DNO Finishes Baeshiqa Testing, Prepares to Spud Next Well on Zartik

The Norwegian oil and gas operator DNO has announced completion of testing and appraisal of the Baeshiqa-2 exploration well in Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan, and the imminent spud of an exploration well on a separate prospect, Zartik.

 

The Zartik well will be located 15 kilometres southeast of the Baeshiqa-2 well on the same licence.

 

In a statement, DNO said testing of Baeshiqa-2 has proven oil and gas in three separate Triassic aged reservoirs.

 

It added: “Evaluation of the test results will determine next steps towards further appraisal and assessment of commerciality.”

 

In November 2019, DNO issued a notice of discovery to the government that hydrocarbons had been flowed to the surface from the upper part of the Triassic Kurra Chine B reservoir during the first phase of testing.

 

The reservoir produced between 900 and 3,500 barrels a day (b/d) of oil with specific gravity ranging between 40 degrees and 52 degrees API and sour gas between 8.5 to 15 million standard cubic feet a day (cf/d).

 

Following a workover and acid stimulation, testing resumed in March 2020 in three other separate Triassic aged reservoirs with each flowing variable rates of light oil and sour gas.

 

During the second phase of testing, the lower Kurra Chine B reservoir produced between 600 to 3,500 b/d with specific gravity ranging between 47 degrees and 55 degrees API and sour gas between 4 to 18 million cf/d.

 

In its statement, DNO said: “The test demonstrated that the upper and lower Kurra Chine B reservoirs are in communication, proving a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir interval of around 150 metres.”

 

The Kurra Chine A reservoir flowed between 950 to 3,100 b/d with 30 degrees to 34 degrees API and sour gas ranging from 1.8 to 3.6 million cf/d from a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir interval of 70 metres.

 

The Kurra Chine C reservoir was the deepest encountered in the well covering only 34 metres of what is expected to be a thicker reservoir of about 200 metres.

 

DNO said that the drilled interval had been exposed to significant fracture damage due to the pumping of lost circulation material.

 

The reservoir produced between 200 to 1,200 b/d of 52 degrees API gravity and sour gas between 3.8 to 6 million cf/d.

 

Shallower Jurassic aged reservoirs were encountered during drilling and tested. However, the tested zones were not acid stimulated, and the results are inconclusive.

 

Drilling schedule

 

The well was spud in February 2019 and drilled to a total depth of 3,204 metres (2,549 metres TVDSS), encountering almost a kilometre of fractured carbonates with poor to good oil shows.

 

In its statement, DNO said: “Baeshiqa-2 well was drilled safely, below budget and with all exploration objectives achieved.”

 

Drilling of the Zartik-1 well is due to start on 15 May 2020. Site construction has already been completed.

 

DNO said site construction was completed on time and below budget.

 

The Norwegian company acquired a 32 per cent interest and operatorship of the Baeshiqa licence in 2017.

 

Partners include ExxonMobil with 32 per cent, Turkish Energy Company with 16 per cent and the Kurdistan Regional Government with 20 per cent.

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