BP Sees Early Gas in 2018 from Egyptian Atoll Field
UK major BP and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) agreed June 20 to fast-track the Atoll Phase One project, producing some 300mn ft³/day gross from 2018, about three years after discovery. BP has a 100% interest in the concession and the output will be sold to the energy-hungry local market.
The first of the Atoll wells will be drilled in August and success of the early production scheme (EPS) could lead to further investment in the Atoll Phase Two full field development. The EPS involves recompleting the existing exploration well as a producing well, drilling two more wells and installing necessary tie-ins and facilities required to produce from the field.
Hesham Mekawi (image credit: BP)
The regional president for BP North Africa Hesham Mekawi commented: “BP is proud to progress the acceleration of the Atoll project which will bring critical gas to the Egyptian market and establish a new, material hub offshore East Nile Delta. Our confidence in the prospectivity of the area along with our ongoing commitment to Egypt and our successful history of partnership with the ministry of petroleum, EGPC and EGAS is allowing us to fast track Atoll from discovery to production in less than three years which is a significant achievement.”
BP recently completed a number of transport and processing agreements accelerating the development of the Atoll field which contains an estimated 1.5 trillion ft³ of gas and 31mn barrels of condensates. Onshore processing will be handled by the existing West Harbour gas processing facilities.
BP announced the Atoll discovery in March 2015 and eight months later it signed a heads of agreement with the Egyptian government.
The Atoll-1 deepwater exploration discovery well in the North Damietta Offshore concession in East Nile Delta was drilled using the sixth-generation semi-submersible rig, Maersk Discoverer. The exploration well reached a depth of 6,400 metres and penetrated about 50 metres of gas pay in high quality sandstones.
William Powell