Project Profile
Location: Doha Basin, Southern Chad
Reserves: Contingent Resources of 2.2 MMbbl (1C)
Area: 366,208 acres
Start-up year: early 2015
Block DOC in Doha Basin in Chad covers an area of 366,208 acres. Based on an evaluation by United Hydrocarbon, the initial pool development is expected to be onstream in early 2015. Up to four development wells could be drilled on Belanga in the initial round of field development.
In 1978, it was the first time Belanga-1 exploration well was drilled to test a four-way dip closure faulted anticline targeting the deep Lower Cretaceous oil horizon. The primary target was dry, but oil was discovered in the Upper Cretaceous YO Sand with oil shows also reported through other Upper Cretaceous horizons. The well was drill stem tested (DSTed) but the test “sanded off” due to the influx of unconsolidated formation sand into the wellbore. Recovery was an estimated 25 barrels of oil (29.5 barrels of oil plus sand) with an inferred 740 bbl/d estimated flow rate, but the well potential was calculated at nearly 2,000 bbl/d of 18.6 to 21.6 degree API oil from the YO Sand. However, despite testing results that were negative, the well logs reveal potential for other oil zones in the structure.
In April 2014, United Hydrocarbon International Corp had successful results in terms of drilling two wells on this Production Sharing Contract area. The \'Belanga North-1\' exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 1,392 meters and encountered three oil-bearing sand intervals; two in the targeted Upper Cretaceous \'YO\' sands with a combined thickness of 16.5 meters (net), and a previously untested 5-meter (net) sand in a shallower horizon. A 14.5 meter section of the \'YO\' sand was perforated and flow tested. At the end of a 15-hour cleanup and flow test period with an 18% pressure drawdown, the final flow rate was 680 barrels of oil per day with no water. Oil was also recovered from the previously untested 5-meter thick sand with a wireline testing tool. Subject to further analysis, the oil recovered during the flow tests appears to be similar in quality to the oil in nearby fields that have been in commercial production since 2004.
The Company also drilled a well at \'Belanga 1A\' to further delineate the oil discovery at Belanga 1, originally drilled in the 1970\'s by a previous operator. The well encountered a 9-meter oil zone in the \'YO\' sand, approximately 50% thicker than the oil zone in the original discovery well. Crude oil was produced to surface before the flow test was terminated due to a mechanical problem.
Operators:
United Hydrocarbon International Corporation: Operator with 100% interest
Contractors:
RPS Energy Consultants: Contract for the reserves estimation studies