Sharjah: Dana Gas, the Middle East's regional private sector natural gas company, has announced two more significant gas discoveries – ‘Faraskur-1’ and ‘Marzouk-2’ – in one of its concessions in the Egyptian Nile Delta. Together, the two wells are expected to add 86 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas to the company’s Egypt reserves.
The Faraskur-1 discovery, which is alone expected to add up to 73 bcf to the company’s Egyptian reserves, is located in the West El Manzala Concession. The well was spudded on August 31, 2009, reaching a total depth of 2,900 metres, on September 27, 2009. The well found 21 metres of gas in the Upper Abu Madi formation, and additional minor amounts in the Kafr El Shaikh and Lower Abu Madi formations. The Upper Abu Madi pay zone tested 12.2 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of gas and 243 barrels per day (bbl/d) of condensate.
The Marzouk-2 well, also located in the West El Manzala Concession, was drilled to a total depth of 3,995 m and found gas in three zones. The upper zone, within the Messinian Abu Madi formation, yielded a gas and condensate discovery with a net pay of 6.7 metres and tested 10 mmscf/d of gas. The lower two zones, in the Sidi Salim formation, yielded non-commercial quantities of gas. Despite the non-commercial gas rates achieved from the two lowermost layers these findings are important to Dana Gas’s future exploration campaign in Egypt, as they prove the presence of an active hydrocarbon system in a formation where the company has determined the presence of several other prospects. The estimated reserves for the Abu Madi zone are 13.4 bcf.
