Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 21
By Maksim Tsurkov – Trend:
Zenith Energy Ltd., a Canadian oil and gas company, has received a workover rig for a sidetrack operation at the well M-195 at Muradkhanli oil field in Azerbaijan, the company told Trend Apr. 21.
The Muradkhanli field is the largest of three contiguous fields (Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab) controlled and operated by Zenith Aran, Zenith's wholly owned subsidiary in Azerbaijan.
A local drilling contractor operating as 'Team B' has initiated a sidetrack operation at the well M-195 at the Muradkhanli field, Zenith said.
“This sidetrack has required the arrival of a more sophisticated workover rig operated by the local drilling contractor,” the company said, adding that the new workover rig arrived to the well site location and that sidetrack activities started Apr. 18.
“The Team B was successful in removing several obstructions and fixing a previously observed casing displacement at the 2,780-meter level in this older well which was first drilled in 1980,” said the company.
“Milling and reaming operations were then continued to a depth of 3,026 meters and in the open-hole section below,” reads the message. “Unexpected difficulties were encountered in the open-hole section due to various amounts of metal debris which prevented the completion of workover operations aimed at installing a new casing screen.”
“After extensive consultations with the local management team and industry experts, Zenith's engineering and geological team has decided to proceed with a sidetrack operation in order to reach an undisturbed section of the oil-bearing reservoir with greater oil producing potential,” the message said.
This will yield good results, because the well M-195 has excellent production upside potential, according to the company.
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Zenith Aran Oil Company signed March 2016 a rehabilitation, exploration, development and production sharing agreement on the block that includes Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab oil fields. These fields cover an area of 642.2 square kilometers. Production under the Zenith banner began August 11, 2016.
Zenith holds an 80 percent participating interest in the three fields within the contract area – Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab – while a SOCAR Oil affiliate company (fully owned by SOCAR) holds the remaining 20 percent. The duration of the agreement is 25 years, with a potential extension of 5 additional years.