PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), with its partners Sonatrach and CNOOC Ltd, have completed drilling work at Hassi Bir Rekaiz. They intend to submit a development plan to the Algerian government in early 2017, the company said in a statement on August 16. 

PTTEP said the last well in the drilling campaign, the Bou Goufa-2, had been tested at 2,406 barrels per day and 2.9 million cubic feet (82,000 cubic metres) per day of gas. 

The well reached a total depth of 4,064 metres, in April, and flowed from the Triassic Argilo Greseux Inferieur (TAGI) formation. It was drilled in the Bou Goufa-Rhourd Ez Zita discovery area and was the last appraisal well of the campaign. Drilling in the area began in 2011. 

“PTTEP has achieved great success and is very satisfied with the significant results of the drilling campaign in Hassi Bir Rekaiz. PTTEP and our partners will prepare and submit the field’s development plan to the Algerian authorities in early 2017 for approval,” said the Thai company’s president and CEO, Somporn Vongvuthipornchai. 

The Hassi Bir Rekaiz area is in the east of Algeria and covers 2,686 square km. PTTEP is the operator with a 24.5% stake, while CNOOC Ltd has 24.5% and Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach has 51%. 

PTTEP announced results at the Rhourde Ez Zita-1bis well, in March of this year, saying it had flowed at 6,152 bpd of oil and 6.5 mmcf (184,000 cubic metres) per day of gas, also from the TAGI formation. This was drilled in the third exploration phase at the block. This was the 10th, of 11, wells that had flowed successfully, it said. 

PTTEP is also working on Blocks 433a and 416b in Algeria, via PTTEP Algeria. This began producing oil at the Bir Seba field in October 2015 and, as of the first quarter of this year, had reached 15,165 bpd, of a targeted 20,000 bpd. The project is intended to reach 40,000 bpd by 2020.