Well KG#19 disappointment for GSPC and partners
GSPC and partners GeoGlobal and Jubilant are disappointed with the results of exploration well KG#19, drilled by Essar Wildcat at KG-OSN-2001/3, site of the â€کDeen Dayal’ gasfield.
GSPC has long billed KG#19 as the “best†location on the block and five years ago marked it out as the location for its first exploration well. But drilling could begin only last year, due to the lack of a suitable rig.
Spud on May 2, 2008, well KG#19 sits in 198 metres water depth and lies about 11-km northeast of discovery well KG#8. Drilling was suspended for about seven months to repair the rig and resumed on January 1 this year.
After TD of 5357 metres was reached around July, operator GSPC carried out a Drill Stem Test (DST). “GSPC originally identified two zones for testing covering the intervals between 4440 to 4535 metres and 4800 to 4960 metres,†said a GeoGlobal statement on September 2.
“GSPC subsequently chose to conduct only one DST.†DST-1 at this well was conducted by perforating 33 net metres over the gross interval between 4455 to 4530 metres.
But a consortium source tells us, “KG#19 results aren’t in line with expectations.†Initially the well flowed 5m cf/d but later stabilised to 3.8m cf/d.
GSPC is disappointed as it was expecting KG#19 to perform like KG#21, which flowed up to 20m cf/d during a DST at the first of four zones. “Initial flow of 5m cf/d is considered good for a jack-up in shallow waters or on an onland block,†says a source.
“Such a well can be fractured to increase performance but this is difficult in deeper waters (as in KG#19).†As a result, GSPC believes the recorded KG#19 flow rate is “not economically viableâ€.
Analysts believe KG#19 turned out to be a disappointment because, “the reservoir is â€کtight’ (doesn’t allow much flow).†Meanwhile, Essar Wildcat has moved to location KG#20-SS, the last exploration well on the block.