Project Profile
Value: US$250 million
Location: Akkulka block, Kazakhstan
Estimated prospective gross unrisked recoverable resources: 128 million barrels
Start-up Year: 2015
The AKD01 is the first deep exploration well drilled under the Akkulka Exploration Contract on the Akkulka block and has tested oil at over 6,800 barrels of oil per day. Well AKD01 encountered two oil-bearing zones, the lower zone being a an Upper Jurassic carbonate sequence at approximately 2,355 metres and an upper, lower Cretaceous sandstone, zone at approximately 2,174 metres. Oil shows were also encountered in the Triassic sequence but not tested.
Current mapping indicates that the AKD01 well is in a downdip location on the Doris prospect with approximately 56 metres of elevation updip of the well, potentially bringing the entire lower reservoir into the oil zone. The prospect covers a most likely area of roughly 60 sq. km, with some possible downdip upside potential in the upper reservoir zone. Oil quality is very good in both zones, with the lower zone having 46 degree API low sulphur crude and the upper zone 37 degree API low sulphur crude. The 180 metre vertical separation between these two reservoirs and the different oil gravities suggests that they may not have a common oil-water contact but should be able to be developed simultaneously with a dual completion. The combined flow rate of these two tests in this well was over 8,200 barrels of fluid per day.
The upper lower Cretaceous sandstone interval showed extremely good permeability (in excess of 1.7 Darcy) and a large investigated distance (in excess of 10 km) and therefore a large connected volume (some 29 million stock tank barrels). The lower carbonate zone also showed good permeability with a large investigated distance and significant connected volume. However further testing is required to confirm the lateral extent of the reservoir, although Tethys has now interpreted a similar zone in a previously drilled well over 16 km to the west.
Operator:
Tethys Petroleum Ltd.: Operator with 50% interest
SinoHan Oil and Gas Investment: 50% interest
Contractor:
Diamond Offshore: Drilling contract
McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd.: Consultant for resource report