20 March 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – Afren says it has completed testing at its Okoro East oil discovery, offshore South-east Nigeria, with the result confirming a high quality 38 to 40-degree API oil in excellent reservoir sands.
Based on the test data, Afren expects that future horizontal production wells at the Okoro East could yield between 4,500 to 7,000 barrels of oil per day per well.
The company said in a statement that it would drill two production wells using existing facilities in the second half of 2012 and up to eight production wells, under a full field development scenario.
The company said: “Following the Okoro East exploration well discovery announced on January 17, 2012, three drill stem tests (DSTs) have been undertaken and completed. The purpose of the tests was to obtain fluid samples and pressure data in order to establish reservoir connectivity, heterogeneity and quantify permeability and porosity.
“The tests have confirmed a high quality 38 to 40-degree API oil, multi-Darcy permeabilities and average porosity of between 30per cent and 35 per cent, in the subject reservoirs. The pressure data also obtained has helped with the company’s structural understanding of the field and supports the pre drill volumetric estimates”, .
It said the two production wells to be drilled in the second half of the year will use the free well-head slots on the existing Okoro platform, which will be tied back to the Armada Perkasa Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel.
This production information will allow Afren and partners, Amni, to finalise development options, with up to eight possible production wells under a full field development.
Afren chief executive officer, Osman Shahenshah, said of thedevelopment: “Together with our partner Amni, we have recorded an excellent set of test results at the Okoro East oil discovery.
“We will now work towards realising near-term production from Okoro East by utilising available well slots at the nearby Okoro main field wellhead platform. The tie back to existing facilities ensures a very high return on the additional wells.
“We are simultaneously working up stand-alone development options, with up to eight producing wells, that will enable us to fully realise the field’s significant potential.”
The well was spudded in December by the Transocean jack-up Adriatic IX, which the company used to search for oil near its producing Okoro field.
