Cairn Energy started drilling the SNE-5 appraisal well, offshore Senegal, the first of two firm wells planed to further evaluate the SNE oilfield, on Saturday, January 21.
Cairn recently said the 2017 drilling program off Senegal includes two new , firm wells.
Cairn’s partners in three blocks offshore Senegal (Sangomar Deep, Sangomar Offshore, Rufisque Offshore) are ConocoPhillips with 35% WI, Far Limited with 15% WI, and Petrosen, the national oil company of Senegal, with 10% WI.
Far said on Monday that the SNE-5, and the following well SNE-6 will be drilled by the drillship Stena DrillMAX and will evaluate the upper SNE reservoir units, specifically reservoir connectivity and deliverability, by conducting oil flow tests, including interference testing.
The two new wells follow the successful SNE-2, SNE-3, BEL-1 and SNE-4 appraisal drilling program completed on the SNE oil field in June 2016.
According to Far, SNE-5 and SNE-6 are being drilled to help improve the joint venture understanding of the characteristics of the upper SNE reservoir units and ensure potential development wells in these units are placed to optimize oil recovery and maximize value per well.
SNE-5 will now be drilled to total depth, after which a wireline logging and drill stem testing (DST) program is to take place. The extent and composition of the DST program will be finalized following examination of the log data from the well. SNE-5 is located in the southern area of the SNE oil field approximately 2km south east of SNE-3. SNE-6 is to be drilled immediately after the completion of SNE-5.
FAR Managing Director, Cath Norman , said: “SNE-5 is the first of two new wells that will further evaluate the potential of the SNE oil field, specifically to improve our understanding of the upper SNE reservoir units and their contribution to the conceptual development plans for this world class asset. The Stena DrillMAX has been contracted for the two firm wells at highly favorable rates reflecting the current low-cost rig contracting environment.
“FAR and its Senegal joint venture partners are considering further optional exploration wells to follow the two firm wells to take advantage of the low cost of the DrillMax. FAR has an extensive portfolio of undrilled prospects and together with our JV partners, we are keen to progress evaluation of the full Senegal PSC license area now that we have a commercially viable project at SNE. This area represents one of the world’s most attractive emerging basins for oil and gas exploration as seen by the recent farm-in by BP to Kosmos ’ acreage to the north of FAR’s blocks.”