Dubai: The National Petroleum Company (NPC), the upstream oil and gas platform company, announced on Sunday that it has increased its production by 1,700 barrels of oil per day (Bpd) in the Sukheir Bay field located approximately 125km north of Hurghada on the western coast of the Red Sea.

This development is expected to increase NPC's total oil production from its Shukheir Marine properties to 2,800 bpd.

NPC's concession operator, Offshore Shukheir Petroleum Co Ltd (Osoco), a joint venture company of NPC's Petzed Investment and Project Management Ltd and the Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC), successfully completed the drilling of the Shukheir Bay-6 well (SHB-6) to the Kareem reservoir in November.

Production tests of two intervals totalling 15 metres of perforations in the virgin reservoir pressured Kareem sandstone has resulted in flow rates of 1,700 bpd.

The open hole logs indicated new potential within the Kareem formation with a total of 18 metres of net sand with an average porosity of 18 per cent and water saturation of 26 per cent.

"Testing on the well, which was completed at the end of November, revealed an initial production rate of 1,700 bpd of high-quality, sulphur-free 41 API crude," said Mohammad Farid, Chief Executive Officer of NPC.

"We are very encouraged by these positive results and will continue conducting tests to further delineate the size of the reservoir and reserve volumes."

Additional reservoir modelling has also been initiated to address the possible extension of the Kareem and the confirmation of additional upside in the primary Lower Rudeis reservoir.

"If we continue to achieve positive results this may justify additional drilling to either or both horizons," added Farid.

Confirm productivity

NPC expects the SHB-6 well to continue to produce at an average rate of about 1,500 bpd over the coming year. Production from SHB-6 will continue to be monitored over the coming period to confirm productivity and a potential increase in field reserves.

NPC is a Cairo-based upstream oil and gas exploration and production company with a Mena footprint.