IPR and its partner, Sojitz Oil and Gas, have discovered another oil bearing structure in the underlying Alam El Bueib sands in the Yidma-Alamein License in Egypts Western Desert. Nearly two decades after acquisition of the license and nearly 50 years of oil production from the Alamein Dolomite, the new deeper production is from a structural closure offsetting the Dolomite closure where new wells will be drilled and rim wells will be re-entered to help develop the closure.
The discovery well, Alexander-1 (AEB-3C), was drilled to a total depth of 4,206 m to the Alam El Bueib formation. The well flowed 23.5 degrees API oil naturally at a reported flow rate of 1,100 bpd on a half inch choke.
Alexander-1 was quickly turned to production at the Yidma-Alamein production facilities approximately two kilometres away through its operating company El Hamra Oil. Alexander-1 is the second discovery in a row for IPR in the AEB/Jurassic formations, as a follow up to the 2009 Zain-1X, the deepest oil well discovery (17,200 ft deep) in this basin, representing IPR's strategic expansion of the Yidma-Alamein oil producing reservoirs.
IPR has already determined a new location from the high quality 3D seismic acquired over the license to optimise the reservoir of the tested column, as well as develop an additional deeper untested zone at a higher structural position.
Concurrent with the drilling of Alexander-1, IPR, through innovative re-evaluation of the Alamein reservoirs, discovered new reserves in the Dahab sands, initially flowing 900 bpd naturally from a sand member in the uppermost section of the Upper Dahab sand and later 1,800 bpd through a half inch choke when more perforations were added in the middle section of the same Upper Dahab sand.
"These results have exposed new stratigraphic complexities and exciting challenges in our reservoirs," said IPR Chairman, Dr. M. K. Dabbous. "New studies are also underway to exploit this phenomenon as we continue to broaden the reserve base in the Yidma-Alamein asset. This opens up new vistas for exploration and production opportunities for the future for IPR.”
