Eni Completes First Well of Egypt's Zohr Discovery

Eni on Friday said it has successfully drilled a new well in the Nooros East exploration prospect, in the Abu Madi West license in Egypt, and has also completed the drilling of the Zohr 2X well, first appraisal well of Zohr discovery, in the Shorouk block.

Eni successfully drilled the Nidoco North 1X well, in the exploration prospect of Nooros East, located in the Abu Madi West license, in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The new find start up is expected by the end of March 2016 and will allow the Nooros area, which started production in September 2015, just two months after the initial Nooros discovery, to reach a production of approximately 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, holds a 75 percent stake in the concession of Abu Madi West, while BP holds a 25 percent stake.

By the middle of 2016, with the addition of new development wells, the production capacity will increase to over 60,000 boed. The gas and condensates produced are sent to the Abu Madi’ treatment plant, about 25 kms from the discovery, and then routed to the Egyptian network.

Nidoco North 1X well, similarly to Nooros’ last discoveries, was drilled from onshore as a deviated well to the Nooros East field in the offshore shallow waters. The well encountered over 43 meters of net gas and condensates bearing sandstone layers of Messinian age with excellent petrophysical properties.

“In parallel with the field development, Eni will continue its exploration activities in the license area, where significant additional potential has been identified which will be tested through the drilling of further two exploration wells,” Eni said.

Eni also completed the drilling of the Zohr 2X well, first appraisal well of Zohr discovery. The well, drilled in the Shorouk block where Eni, through IEOC, holds a 100 percent share, is located 1.5 kilometers southeast from Zohr 1X and down-dip of it, on the flank of the Zohr’s structure, in a water depth of 4800 feet.

Zohr 2X well was drilled up to 13684 feet (4171metres) and encountered 1614 feet (455 metres) of continuous hydrocarbon column in a carbonate sequence with excellent reservoir characteristics (305 metres net pay). The comprehensive formation evaluation program confirmed the same gas-water contact and connection with the discovery well showing Zohr as a single and continuous mega tank of natural gas, fully comprised in the Egyptian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and within the Shorouk Block. Eni is arranging all the activities for the execution of the well production test.

The appraisal plan envisages the drilling of three further wells to fully delineate the field which holds a potential of up to 30 trillion cubic feet of lean gas in place (5.5 billion of barrels of oil equivalent in place).

Recently Eni announced the completion, with the Egyptian authorities, of the approval process for the development of Zohr field.

In both licenses, operations are being conducted by Petrobel, which is a joint venture between IEOC and the state partner Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).