Gulfsands Petroleum plc the oil and gas production, exploration and Development Company with activities in Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Colombia and the U.S.A. provide the following update on activities underway in Morocco.
Lalla Yetou Updip-1 Natural Gas Discovery
The Lalla Yetou Updip-1well (LTU-1), located within the Rharb Centre Permit in Northern Morocco, has been successfully drilled to a total depth of 1182 meters. The LTU-1 well flowed gas to surface, through a 28/64" choke, at an estimated rate of 6.6 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfpd) with no formation water produced. The LTU-1 well is currently being monitored for pressure build-up, after which it will be temporarily suspended as a future gas producer.
Drilling operations on LTU-1 commenced on 20th June 2014 and the well was drilled to the planned total depth of 1182 meters on 1st July 2014. Elevated gas readings obtained while drilling, as well as interpretation of wireline logs, indicated the presence of a gas bearing reservoir section of 12 metres gross thickness at the pre-drill target interval depth.
The main reservoir encountered appears consistent with the pre-drill expectation of a turbidite distributaries channel/fan complex, with laminated sand and silt layers and normal bed grading. A gas-to-water contact is interpreted in the well, based on gas shows and petrophysical data, at depth approximately 13 metres below the gross reservoir section, also consistent with the pre-drill expectation.
After the conclusion of drilling and formation evaluation operations, the 12 meter gross reservoir section was perforated and a short-term production clean up flow period was undertaken. Within one hour after commencing the cleanup flow period, the well had unloaded the completion fluids and was producing 100% gas to surface and with 0% bulk solids and water (BS&W).
The estimated flow rate for the well, based on empirical calculation methods, was approximately 6.6 mmscfpd on a 28/64" choke. After completing the 12-hour cleanup flow period, the well was shut in for pressure build-up observations. The drilling rig will be released from the LTU-1 location, and the LTU-1 well will be temporarily suspended as a future gas producer.
Mahdi Sajjad, the Company's CEO commented: "We are very pleased with the successful results achieved in the LTU-1 well. This well is the first well location to be drilled following our interpretation of seismic data acquired in the recently completed Rharb 3D seismic programme which we hope will provide a firm foundation for further drilling successes on this permit.
I would like to congratulate all of our technical staff who contributed to the success of this operation, especially our drilling team lead by our long time drilling manager, Sabih Noori, who managed to drill and complete this well very efficiently despite a number of technical and logistical challenges that arose after the well reached target depth.
The senior staff at ONHYM also deserve a special mention for the considerable assistance they have provided with various aspects of the drilling operations and testing programme which were required to be completed during the holy Ramadan period."
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