The Houston-based Apache Corporation has recently announced large oil and gas discoveries on its Abu Gharadig concession in Egypt’s western desert. Apache and Shell Egypt, the operator, have identified several potential offset locations.
The discovery is expected to be put on production quickly because field facilities operated by a Shell joint venture are nearby. The discovery well is less than two miles from existing oil pipelines. Apache has a 48 percent contractor interest in the 2.4-million-acre northeast Abu Gharadig Concession, while Shell Egypt has a 52 percent contractor interest.
The wells initially tested 4,190 barrels of oil and five million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The company asserted that the Abu Gharadig basin contains the four largest oil fields in the western desert, each with reserves in the range of 100 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Apache is the largest producer of liquid hydrocarbons in the Western Desert, with operated production of approximately 79,000 barrels per day, and the second-largest producer of natural gas, with operated production of approximately 190 MMcf per day.
In August, a new-zone discovery was announced in Apache's Khalda Concession in Egypt's Western Desert. The company reported the discovery tested at a daily rate of 21.9 million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas and 1,560 barrels of condensate. Last December, the firm confirmed its 2,634-bpd Neith discovery and then, in June, struck its first commercial find on the Ras Al-Hikma concession, testing 2,207 bpd and 12.4 MMcf from the 2X well. — (menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
