The well was drilled as an extended reach deviated well from an onshore location. This will enable rapid completion and connection of the well to onshore production facilities, the company said.
NS377-5 was drilled approximately 465mt northwest of the NS377-3 well, which was also drilled as a development well in the last quarter of 2009 and encountered a 144mt oil column. Although the gross oil column is less than in the earlier well, the reservoir quality is improved and the initial production from NS377-5 is expected to be in the same order as NS377-3 at 1500 to 2000 bopd.
Crude oil will be exported about seven kilometres to the northwest via a new pipeline to Petrobel’s Ras Ghara processing facility on the east coast of the gulf. Full production from the field is expected to commence in the third quarter of this year at an initial rate in excess of 3000bopd.
Development drilling on the NS385 oilfield, located offshore and four kilometres southeast of the NS377 oilfield is also planned to commence in 2010. Extended reach technology will again be utilised to penetrate the reservoir from an onshore drilling location and production will be tied into the same export route as the NS377 oilfield. These two oilfields are estimated to contain recoverable reserves of approximately 11 million barrels (gross).
BP Exploration (Delta) operates the field with a 50% stake on behalf of Beach Petroleum with 20% , TriOcean energy with 30% and Beach Petroleum (Egypt) operates with 20%.
