Italian giant Eni and 50:50 partner BP have confirmed a “new significant gas discovery” in the Baltim South West exploration prospect, located in the East Nile Delta offshore Egypt, with plans to drill two new wells in the area.
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Map of Baltim South West 1X, from BP. |
This new discovery, Eni said, further confirms the significant potential of the Great Nooros Area, which is now estimated to hold 70-80 Bcm of gas in place.
The gas find was encountered at the Baltim South West 1X well after reaching 3750m depth, where the JV hit about 120m of gross gas column, and 62m of net pay sandstones of Messinian age with excellent reservoir properties.
The well is located some 12km from the coast in 25m water depth, and about10km north of the Nooros field.
“We are pleased with the results of the Baltim SW-1 well as it is the third discovery along the Nooros trend and confirms the great potential of the Messinian play and its significant upside in the area,” Hesham Mekawi, BP North Africa regional president said. “Our plan is to utilize existing infrastructure which will accelerate the development of the discovery, and expedite early production start-up.”
As of May, Nooros reached production levels of 65,000 boe/d, with the anticipation of reaching 120,000 boe/d by the end of the year.
The JV is in the process of assessing the options for the fast track development of this new find, which like that of Nooros, will exploit solutions able to accelerate the production start-up, through the maximum synergy with the existing infrastructures already present in the area, the Italian giant said.
Along with the appraisal and development activities, Eni said it will also continue exploring the Great Nooros Area, with the drilling of two additional wells.
Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, holds a 50% stake in the license of Baltim South, while BP holds the remaining 50% stake. The operator is Petrobel, an equal joint venture between IEOC and the state company Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EGPC).
Read more:
Eni ups Nooros production, off Egypt
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