IPR Announces ‘Significant Hydrocarbon Discovery’ in Egypt’s Western Desert

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IPR Announces ‘Significant Hydrocarbon Discovery’ in Egypt’s Western Desert

In a release sent to Rigzone by the IPR Energy Group (IPR) team recently, the company announced “another significant hydrocarbon discovery” in the Yidma field, which is situated in the Yidma-Alamein concession in Egypt’s Western Desert. “The well was drilled to a total depth of 8,910 feet, targeting untapped reserves following recent successes in the […]

“The well was drilled to a total depth of 8,910 feet, targeting untapped reserves following recent successes in the adjacent Alamein field,” IPR said in the release, adding that the well encountered “a substantial oil column of 73 feet [of] hydrocarbons beneath a tight stratigraphic barrier within the Alamein Dolomite formation”.

“A highly porous dolostone interval was perforated, yielding initial rates of 1,926 barrels of oil per day, stabilizing at a rate of 1,250 barrels of oil per day with high quality light oil at 43°API, with minimal water cut (0.5 percent BS&W) through a 64/64-inch choke,” IPR noted in the release.

The company highlighted in the release that the well is currently producing under natural flow and revealed that output is expected to reach 1,500 barrels of oil per day following the installation of an electric submersible pump.

“This well’s success, and previous successes last year within the concession, adds additional reserves and production wedges as a result of IPR employing new conceptional exploration and redevelopment plans to all mature and legacy field activities in the concession,” IPR stated in the release.

The company pointed out that a follow up well, Yidma-14X, is under final drilling, where IPR said “similar completion practices will be used for the deeper exploration target, Alam El Bueib”.

An IPR spokesperson said in the release, “this new discovery again emphasizes the outstanding exceptional value of the untapped potential of the Yidma-Alamein concession that has been produced for over 60 years and still exhibits sizable value and potential that can be accessed using newly improved exploitation methodologies, upgrading production technology, horizontal drilling, and optimized stimulation techniques”.

“We are now launching a comprehensive exploitation program, including new development wells, fieldwide waterflood projects, and the deployment of advanced production enhancement technologies,” the spokesperson added.

In its release, IPR highlighted that it holds a 100 percent working interest in the Yidma-Alamein concession.

In a release posted on its site in June last year, IPR announced that it discovered hydrocarbons in well AL-52Kh in the Yidma-Alamein concession.

“This well proved successful in confirming the concept of unexploited reserves in this promising accumulation over the Alamein-Qattara Ridge,” the company noted in that release.

“The well was drilled to a depth of 8,670 feet and encountered 54 feet of net pay from multi-stacked reservoirs, primarily targeting the Lower Kharita,” it added.

“After well testing, AL-52Kh was nitrogen-lifted with stabilized rates of 2,765 barrels of oil per day at 36°API with less than one percent basic sediment and water (BS&W) on a ½-inch choke,” it continued.

“The well has been placed on electric submersible pump and connected after a four-day Pressure Buildup test to existing infrastructure and added to overall production volumes,” it went on to state.

In that release, IPR said the well is expected to produce 3,000 barrels of oil per day, “with overall field production reaching 8,000 barrels of oil per day”.

In a release posted on its site in January last year, IPR announced “the discovery of exploration well West AY-1X and the successful testing and production from a new formation (Kharita) in Alamein-44, adding an incremental 2,850 barrels of oil per day to the Yidma-Alamein Western Desert Development Lease”.

West AY-1X was drilled to a depth of 13,166 feet, IPR revealed in that release, adding that this deep multi-target exploration well in the Yidma-Alamein Concession lease encountered 33 feet of perforated interval in the Basal Middle Bahariya sand.

“The well was lifted by coil tubing/nitrogen, then placed on production with an ESP at a rate of 703 barrels of oil per day with one percent BS&W,” IPR noted in this release.

“During the same active exploitation campaign, well Alamein-44 was recompleted into a fractured carbonate attic oil zone in the Alamein Dolomite formation, just 25 meters from the original 1966 field discovery well (Alamein-1X), which has already produced 13.8 million barrels of oil,” it added.

“A five foot interval was perforated at the top of the Dolomite section and produced at an average gross rate of 3,016 barrels of fluid per day and stable net oil rate of 2,147 barrels of oil per day of 33°API gravity oil, confirming the presence of attic oil throughout this prolific formation,” it went on to state.

IPR describes itself on its website as a group of international companies in the energy sector actively engaged in oil and gas exploration and production around the world and providing engineering and oilfield services worldwide.

“We capitalize on our technical expertise and innovation to improve petroleum recovery, whether in our own E&P portfolio or through our global service offerings to the market,” the company notes on its site.

In Egypt, the company has a current portfolio of operated and non-operated onshore and offshore assets totaling 14,522 net square kilometers and 3.6 million net acres of oil and gas production, according to its site.

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