The Ain Al Safra discovery will be appraised in 2014 as part of the multi-well appraisal and development drilling program in the Hawler license area.
Oil exploration firm Oryx is the operator and has a 65% participating and working interest the well.
Oryx Petroleum chief operating officer Henry Legarre said, "Based on the results of the recently completed test program at Ain Al Safra, we are proceeding with further analysis and appraisal to determine the size and quality of the discovery as well as its potential commerciality."
The company said the Sakson Hilong 10 rig spudded the exploration well targeting the Ain Al Safra prospect, a broad fault-bounded anticline, in the Hawler license area in early June 2013.
The AAS-1 well targeted oil potential primarily in the lower Jurassic and Triassic and secondarily in the Cretaceous.
In early September 2013, the well reached a depth of 3,039m in the uppermost Triassic and was originally scheduled to be drilled to a total depth of 3,700m.
Oryx said drilling was suspended and the well secured at the 3,039m depth as heavy losses of drilling fluids caused the bottom hole assembly to become stuck.
The company is conducting additional analysis of the AAS-1 well and plans to drill an appraisal well at Ain Al Safra in 2014.
Apart from appraising the discovery in the Alan and Mus formations, appraisal drilling is anticipated to include the Triassic Kurra Chine formation, which was not possible with the AAS-1 well.
Oryx also plans to re-test the Butmah and Adayiah formations where logging information acquired during drilling indicates the presence of fractures.
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