In an initial flow test, the redeveloped well produced at a gross rate of 994 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and 804,000 cubic feet of gas per day (mcfd).
The well has sustained those production levels during the initial three-day production period although the company anticipates production levels to decrease in line with the relatively steep decline curves typical of the area.
The re-entry included the prospect of two different laterals. The first lateral in the so-called upper ‘B Zone’ and the second in the lower ‘A Zone’. Within the first few days of drilling, indications of producibility in the B zone were so strong that the decision was made to stop drilling and put the well into production sooner. The drilling of the second lateral into the lower ‘A Zone’ has been deferred as a target for a later date.
The company said that the Texas Austin Chalk formation produces high-grade light crude oil and natural gas from a fractured carbonate of relatively low permeability, with the natural fractures in the reservoir rock acting as conduits for hydrocarbon recovery.
Matt Lofgran, CEO of Nostra Terra, said: “Our first step into Texas is a very small one, but we are delighted with the initial results which validate our expansion strategy. We intend to build a significant proportion of our growing business by drilling horizontal wells in established sandstone and carbonate reservoirs like the Austin Chalk.”
