Genel Energy completed testing operations on the SM-1 well on the Nour prospect in the Sidi Moussa license, offshore Morocco, resulting in the plugging and abandonment of the well, according to partner Serica Energy plc.
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The Noble Paul Romano. From Genel. |
The Sidi Moussa petroleum agreement covers an area of 5019sq km and lies in water depths between 200 and 1250m. The area is located approximately 75km southwest of Agadir.
The Noble Paul Romano semisubmersible rig drilled to a total depth of 2825m, where oil in fractured and brecciated cavernous Upper Jurassic carbonates was found.
Serica says that during drilling and well control operations, 26 degree API oil was produced to surface with the drilling fluids. A subsequent testing program confirmed the presence of oil but it was not possible to achieve all of the objectives of the testing program, most likely as a consequence of the significant reservoir damage suffered during the earlier well control operations.
The joint venture needs further evaluation of the drilling and testing results before further steps can be taken. As of now, the partners have decided that the well will be plugged and abandoned and the Noble Paul Romano will be released.
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Map of the Sidi Moussa license. From Serica. |
“The SM-1 well has provided some valuable information regarding the future prospectivity of the Sidi Moussa license,” says Tony Craven Walker, Serica chairman and CEO. “The presence of good quality oil encountered by the well is encouraging for the remaining prospects on the license and further tests on the oil samples taken will help determine the provenance of the oil which in turn will aid the identification of optimal locations for potential oil accumulations.”
Genel is the operator of Sidi Moussa license with 60% interest. Partners include ONHYM (25%), San Leon (10%) and Serica (5%).
In October, Genel announced it had encountered oil to be well tested. Genel’s last well, the Hagar Qim-1 well in Area 4 was drilled to the Eocene offshore Morocco, which, was plugged and abandoned earlier this year after finding no hydrocarbons.
In Morocco, Genel also has the Juby Maritime and Mir Left licenses. Together with Sidi Moussa, they span 16,489sq km. Genel says its exploration activity to date has focused on the potential for oil accumulations in Jurassic aged rocks, although a deeper pre-salt play in the Triassic is also under evaluation. In total, around 1940sq km of 3D seismic has been acquired across the Morocco license position.
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