Oryx Petroleum spuds oilwell in Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s Demir Dagh

The Middle East-focussed explorer also said that preliminary indications from the Banan exploration oilwell in the same licence area were encouraging.

Henry Legarre, CEO of Oryx Petroleum, said, “We continue to make excellent progress in the Hawler license area. We have spudded our first appraisal well at Demir Dagh with the re-completion of the Demir Dagh discovery well soon to follow.”

Legarre said that the first well in the Demir Dagh Appraisal programme (DD-3) is expected to reach a total depth of 4,115 metres in Q2 2014. The well is currently being drilled down flank of the anticline approximately three kilometres to the southeast of the DD-2 discovery well and will test the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic reservoirs.

“The DD-3 well is on schedule, having reached a depth of approximately 1,600 metres in the uppermost Cretaceous. Drilling experience to date with DD-3 has been consistent with the drilling of the DD-2 discovery well,” he added.

The Romfor 22 rig is expected to move to Demir Dagh to re-complete DD-2 programme. The re-completion would allow for oil production from Demir Dagh’s Cretaceous reservoirs once the production facilities are operational in Q2 2014..

Meanwhile, in September this year, the KS Discoverer 1 rig spudded the BAN-1 well, the company’s fourth exploration well in the Hawler License area, targeting the Banan prospect.

According to the company, the well was targeting light oil potential in the Lower Jurassic and Triassic, and medium oil potential in the Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic.

Netherland, Sewell and Associates (NSAI) estimated, as of 31 March 2013, that the Banan Prospect contains 196mn barrels of best estimate unrisked gross prospective resources. NSAI’s estimate reportedly excludes a significant portion of the Banan prospect that was outside the Hawler License area boundaries prior to the December 2012 boundary extension, Oryx Petroleum added.

The BAN-1 well has reportedly reached a depth of 3,550 metres in the uppermost Triassic and is expected to reach a total depth of 4,153 metres. The test programme would be held in Q1 2014. Logging data, core analysis and observations during drilling in the Cretaceous confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons and similar reservoir properties as observed at Demir Dagh.

Oryx Petroleum is the operator and has a 65 per cent participating and working interest in the Hawler License area, which covers an area of 1,643 sq km.