Dragon to drill new side track for suspended well offshore Tunisia
Offshore staff
LONDON– The partners in the Hammamet West oil field offshore Tunisia plan to drill a new side track.
Drilling of theHammamet West-3 well in the Bargou exploration permit started in April 2013. The plan was for a pilot hole followed by a horizontal section to intersect open fractures within the Abiod formation, thereby testing the reservoir’s flow potential.
Initial production testing last fall of the first side track confirmed the presence of open hydrocarbon bearing fractures, but could not be completed due to continuous blockages and obstructions caused by lost circulation material. As a result, Hammamet West-3 was temporarily suspended.
A new rig has been secured to drill alternative Side Track-2. It will be drilled from the original Hammamet West-3 wellbore to intersect fractures and to test the Abiod formation. Drilling to date has cost $85 million.
In the southern Gulf of Suez offshore Egypt, Dragon still awaits ratification of the award of a 100% interest inblock 19 East Zeit Bay.
The block covers a shallow-water area of 93 km (58 mi), with many producing oil fields nearby. Dragon plans seismic acquisition and analysis over a 100-sq km (39-sq mi) area and to drill two wells during the initial exploration period.
02/26/2014
