No luck for Oil India at Sindhuja#1
So far it has found nothing interesting but Oil India is refusing to give up hope at Sindhuja#1, its first offshore exploration well in nearly two decades, where drilling continues slowly.
The drillbit of Transocean's rig GSF-140 reached 4190 metres on September 20. "Oil India expects zones of interest from 4200 metres onwards," says a source.
First though the bit will be pulled out for logging and casing, expected to take about two weeks. After that the 9 and 5/8-inch diameter casing will be inserted and cemented till 4185 metres.
When drilling resumes, GSF-140 will drill an 8.5-inch diameter hole to 5600 metres TD, likely to take two months. When TD is reached, the 7-inch diameter production casing will be inserted and cemented.
Sources say the drillbit began encountering "very hard" formations 3800 metres downwards in contrast to the formation collapse encountered above that depth. "Drilling is at between 1.5 metres and 2 metres/hour," says a source.
Oil India spud the well on June 5 in water depths of 415 metres at eastern offshore block CY-OSN-2009/2.