Project Profile
Location: ~30 km south of Ras El Besh, offshore Tunisia
Production: 1,200 barrels of oil per day
Water Depth: 3,500 metres
The Jawhara oil prospect was drilled for the first time in 1973 by Total S.A. (JAW1), testing oil to surface at an equivalent rate of 1,200 barrels of oil per day from Douleb-Bireno limestones of Cretaceous age. The Jawhara complex is a series of southwest to northeast fault blocks that are the first structures out of the basin to the east. JAW1 tested oil from the southern-most fault block and additional drilling is required to confirm the northern extent of the trend. The 2009 program to re-map the Ras El Besh structure will extend southward to cover lands over the Jawhara prospect. Revised geological mapping will attempt to ascertain whether the Jawhara structure could hold sufficient hydrocarbon volumes to warrant an appraisal well.
In 1976 Total discovered oil when it drilled the Jawhara #1 (JAW1) to a depth of 3,245m. The oil gravity was measured from 24º to 31º API and water salinity was measured around 34,000 ppm NaCl. The majority of the water produced from this interval is believed to be filtrate (27,500 ppm NaCl) due to variance of salinity from tests in zones above and below the test interval within the same wellbore. A zone deeper in the Bireno (2,464-65.7m) tested 33% oil and 67% water (85,000 ppm NaCl) upon DST, but did not flow. The Jawhara #2 (JAW2) was drilled in 1980 to a depth of 3,554m to test an apparent crestal position of the Jawhara feature based on sparse 2D seismic coverage. Unfortunately, the prospective Douleb/Bireno reservoir was faulted out of this well. In general, the reservoir characteristics of the Douleb/Bireno include porosities that range from 12% to 25% with corresponding permeabilities that range from < 1 mD to over 500 mD. In 2004 Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide Ltd. (APEX) acquired a high resolution 3D survey over the Jawhara structure to confirm the presence of a commercial volume of hydrocarbons. APEX’s interpretation of the 3D on the top of the Douleb/Bireno interval indicates a faulted structure aligned north-northeast with faults generally aligned north-northwest. There are six fault segments that are prospective above the oil/water contact.
Gaffney Cline and Associates, at the request of APEX and its partner, conducted an independent review of the exploration potential of the Sfax Offshore Permit. On October 5, 2007 GCA rendered an opinion that stated succinctly that two of the six fault segments mapped by APEX were believed commercially productive, containing Contingent Resources of nearly 34 million barrels of oil having a Net Present Value (PV10) of US$200 million. APEX is currently evaluating options for the development of the Jawhara Discovery once development of the Ras El Besh Field is underway. APEX anticipates that it will submit a Plan of Development for the Jawhara area and request a Concession be granted by Tunisian authorities prior to year end 2008.
Operators:
DNO International (Tunisia): Operator with 52.5% interest
Petrogas E&P Tunisia BV (wholly-owned subsidiary of Petrogas E&P LLC): 35% interest
Eurogas International Inc. and Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide Ltd.: 12.5% interest
Contractors:
Gaffney Cline and Associates: Independent review of the exploration potential of the whole permit