Page 8 - MEOG Week 15 2022
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MEOG PROJECTS & COMPANIES MEOG
Maha prepares to begin Mafraq drilling work
OMAN SWEDEN’S Maha Energy said last week that it estimated a combined proven plus probable (2P)
intends to kick off a six-well drilling campaign reserves and 2C resources at 33.41mn barrels as
at the Mafraq heavy oilfield in Oman’s Block 70 of December 31, 2021.
concession. “The Mafraq field accounts for almost half
The company’s CEO Jonas Lindvall made our future oil volumes and if we can prove up
the announcement upon the release of its 2021 the oil-water contact to where strong indications
annual report this week. He said: “A drilling rig suggest it is, we are poised to deliver significant
has been selected and the drilling of six wells is volumes of oil from Oman,” Lindvall said.
scheduled to begin on the Mafraq field during During the EPSA’s initial period, Maha is
the second quarter of 2022.” committed to carry out geological studies,
Lindvall added: “Two appraisal wells will be seismic reprocessing and well drilling. In 2020,
drilled first to acquire important information the company said it had planned for a phased
such as the oil water contact, crude oil proper- appraisal and development approach and an
ties and cores of the producing interval. Addi- “initial committed work programme investment
tionally, four horizontal wells will be drilled and estimated at approximately $14.6mn”. These
placed on extended well test production to eval- investments cover the exploration phase of the
uate water encroachment in the fractured lime- field’s development, with a further $31.8mn of
stone reservoir.” planned spend to increase output to 3,000 bar-
The company was awarded 100% owner- rels per day (bpd) from 2024 onwards, pending
ship in the exploration and production-sharing results.
agreement (EPSA) for the 639-square km Block This year’s capital programme covers the
70 by the Sultanate’s Ministry of Energy and drilling of the MF-7 and MF-8 appraisal wells
Minerals in September 2020 following months this year for “reservoir delineation and data
of speculation about the award. acquisition, as well as an “extended well testing
The EPSA was awarded with an initial explo- programme with 6-8 tri-lateral horizontal pro-
ration period of three years and with an optional ducers to assess full-scale horizontal field devel-
extension period of another three years. Should opment.” The company previously anticipated
a commercial discovery be made, this can be expanding production to 1,250 bpd during 2022
extended into a 15-year production licence, through an early production testing system.
with an optional five-year extension, while the It has committed to drill eight horizontal
state oil firm OQ has the right to acquire a 30% wells under the second phase of development,
interest. raising output to expected peak production of
Mafraq was discovered by PDO in 1988 and 3,000 bpd. Maha intends to maintain this plateau
was further delineated by four wells and 3D through its third phase, beginning with a single
seismic in stages between then and 2010. The exploration well followed by up to 200 develop-
field is estimated to contain 185-280mn bar- ment wells by mid-to-late 2024 providing com-
rels of original oil in place (OIP), though Maha merciality is declared.
P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 15 13•April•2022
