The heavy oil Abu Roash “F” formation target in the Badr oil field is said to potentially contain over 500 million barrels of oil
TAG Oil achieves first oil from Badr oil field in Egypt. (Credit: TAG Oil)
TAG Oil said that it has achieved production of the first oil from the Badr oil field (BED-1) in the Western Desert, Egypt following the re-entry of the vertical well, BED 1-7.
According to the Canadian oil and gas company, the heavy oil Abu Roash “F” formation (ARF formation) was perforated and a diagnostic fracture injectivity test (DFIT) was carried out. During the DFIT, the aim was to determine natural fracture matrix characteristics via pressure build-up and leak-off profiles.
TAG Oil said that the reservoir was fracture stimulated further with a 110 tons sand treatment and pump schedule with positive response, which confirmed both reservoir models and expected performance.
The well unloaded, on flowback, to surface under natural flow and cleaned up nearly 40% of the injected fracture fluid with a presence of 230 API oil, said the company.
During the short flowback, the production of the net cumulative oil was over 500 barrels. The production was linked to a flow-line to the production facilities of the Badr oil field and further into a sales pipeline.
TAG Oil said that the BED 1-7 vertical well was shut-in for removing the frac string, installation of a 3.5inch production tubing string and down-hole electric submersible Pump (ESP). These were done to enable the production to be steady at stabilised oil rates.
Within the next few days, the well is anticipated to be on production.
TAG Oil stated that data gathered from the vertical well in addition to the geomechanical and 3D seismic review has improved the company’s design for horizontal well.
Plans are now in progress to obtain a drilling rig to spud the first horizontal well built with a multi-stage fracture stimulation, said the Canadian oil and gas firm.
The company said that it has secured all the required permits and site construction is going on with the horizontal well anticipated to be spudded in June 2023.
TAG Oil CEO Toby Pierce said: “This activity is the first step to establish oil production from the ARF Formation, an oil rich source rock that covers a significant portion of the 107 Sq. Km. BED-1 concession.
“Production results confirm the economic feasibility of this important resource play in the Western Desert of Egypt.”
The Badr oil field was discovered by a joint venture between Shell Oil and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) in 1982. The ARF target in the field is said to potentially hold over 500 million barrels of oil in place.