TMK says maiden pilot well programme in Mongolia on schedule
Sydney-listed TMK Energy on June 28 said its maiden pilot well programme at the Gurvantes XXXV coalbed methane project in Mongolia is on schedule and within budget.
In May and June 2023, three pilot production wells were successfully drilled within the Nariin Sukhait area. Subsequently, surface facilities have been installed at each of the three production wells, along with supporting civil works and infrastructure. These surface facilities include connecting the well heads to a metering skid that measures water and gas rates.
Gas lines run from the metering skids to a flare to burn any unused gas, while a water line carries produced water to a small central water pond before being pumped to a final water storage area associated with an adjacent coal mine.
The civil works, surface facilities, supporting infrastructure, and pump installations are expected to be completed by early July. Following the completion, a short commissioning phase will be conducted before the production wells are brought online and the six-month production test begins, scheduled around mid-July 2023.
The primary objective of this pilot well programme is to flow gas to the surface and gain insights into the reservoir performance of the upper coal seam at the Nariin Sukhait location. This information will assist in evaluating the commercial viability of the 1.2 trillon ft3 2C resource, which has already been independently certified by Netherland, Sewell and Associates (NSAI) in late 2022, TMK said.
The programme is primarily funded by ASX-listed Talon Energy which last year exercised an option to take a 33% interest in the production sharing agreement over the Gurvantes XXXV project and entered into a joint venture with TMK, which holds the balance of 67% interest and is the operator of the project.