Project Profile
Location: Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia
Production: 12,000 Bopd
Water Depth: 65.5 m
Exploration start-up: 1971
Production start-up: 1974
The Ashtart oil field is located in 65.5 metres of water in the Gulf of Gabes offshore Tunisia. The Ashtart field was discovered in 1971, and has been in operation since 1974. The field produces roughly 12,000 Bopd. Produced gas is used for fuel and gas-lift with the remainder being flared off. The field was originally developed by Elf-Aquitaine Oil Company. The Ashtart field consists of a single reservoir about 70 metres in thickness. The reservoir is heavily faulted; hence the production wells are practically non-interacting. The hydrocarbons are under-saturated, with downhole pressures in the range of 200 bars (eastern part of the reservoir) to 250 bars (western part of the reservoir), and temperatures of 140ºC. Most of the wells are at a substantial depth of ~3000 meters, and the Tubing Head Pressures (THP) are consequently low at ranging from 8 -10 bars. Oil production is water-driven. The field is circled by water injection wells, using seawater.The Ashtart field production recovery mechanism has been continually developed since operation commenced in 1974. Production from Ashtart peaked in 1979 at 47,100 b/d and has since been in decline. The revamp project, initiated in 2008, has maintained production levels at above 5,000 b/d. Ashtart is operated by SEREPT, a 50/50 JV with OMV and ETAP. Production has been in decline for many years but the revamp project and further development drilling began in 2009 that helped stabilize output. OMV plans additional development drilling to sidetrack and deepen existing wells. The revamp project aims to maintain production until 2025.
Operators:
Perenco: 50% interest
ETAP: 50% interest