Afren Monday has commented that it has started to drill oil at the East Simrit prospect, precisely in the Simrit 3 well in the Ain Sifni PSC of the Kurdish Iraq.
Egbert Imomoh, the chairman of the firm has issued a statement saying that Afren and the operator Hunt Oil has started to drill for oil in the East Simrit of the Ain Sifni PSC in the region. He has further added that the Simrit 3 well is situated about 10 km east of the Simrit 2 oil well which has been successful and is explores the Simrit anti cline in large scale.
Imomoh has disclosed that for testing the western extent of the structure, the partners of the firm has finished drilling the Simrit 2 exploration well. The ultimate depth of the well is 3800 meters and amongst that, 460 meters is filled with oil which covers the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic age of the reserve.
In a statement, the company has revealed that oil and water contact has not been made in the target reserve and the statement has also added that the drilling will be concluded in June. Meanwhile, a comprehensive taste of the well has started and it is going on.
The partners are looking forward to make total 12 tests of the drill stem and have announced in July 2012 that the first of the three DST in the Triassic age formation of the Kurra Chine has resulted into the total flow rate of 13,584 bopd of 390 API gravity of oil.
The Simrit 3 well is showing that, there will be presence of oil in the same three reservoir intervals of Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic at the eastern extent of the Simrit anticline.
In this context, it can be told that Afren has 20% interest in the Ain Sifni PSC where it partners the Hunt Oil Middle East (it has 60% share) and the Kurdistan government (it has 20% share too).
Imomoh has explained that the drilling in progress in the Kurdish region actually complements the other existing exploration and appraisal programs that are being handled in Nigeria and he has also said that the drilling and test results have proved that the oil reserve in of Ain Sifni and Kurdistan is actually world class assets.
The has further added that the Simrit exploration well is a part of the ongoing evaluation conducted to find out the transformational potential and the real extent of the oil that has been discovered till date will also be done. Then the whole things will go for the early production system at the Okoro East discovery and the other exploration programs will continue the planned drilling in the Ebok West and Central Fault Block targets in the coming months.
Source [All Africa]