Paradise Oil Company (POC), a Staatsolie subsidiary, has recently continued its operations in the Uitkijk Block.
Two evaluation wells were drilled in May in the northern part of the area.
The evaluation wells have depths greater than 370 meters. Drilling, observations and surveys are jointly conducted with Tullow Oil, the British-Irish firm which signed a Joint Operations Agreement in 2007.
The two wells will be closely monitored for six months.
Tests must reveal whether this area has the same type of oil as the Tambaredjo field. Aspects as ground pressure, viscosity and water content of the well will also be evaluated.
?If this field has recoverable resources we will know what developmental strategies we can apply,? says POC Operations Manager Patrick Brunings. The oil traces have remarkably been located in a very thin layer. The Uitkijk Block is situated close to the Tambaredjo field. Further exploration of the Uitkijk Block is based on data collected by the Canadian Company Koch, which explored the area, some ten years ago.
Interpretation In 2007, POC and Tullow Oil restarted further exploration of the Uitkijk Block. Between 2007 and 2009 ten wells have been drilled. Data collected during the exploration revealed that the area has oil deposits, roughly estimated between four and six million barrels. This field would have a production span between ten and fifteen years. The next phase must reveal not only whether these estimates are realistic but whether recovering the oil would be profitable. A thorough evaluation of both wells must yield this data.
The output per well will be decisive. The evaluation phase will also address the production behavior issue. It regards the water, oil and gas ratio found in certain quantities and how this ratio changes in time. Brunings reiterates that ?whether Uitkijk North will see further development depends on interpretation of the data.? Tests must reveal if producing the oil will be profitable.
?Every well requires an exact survey to get a better insight of the area.? In order to determine how far the field stretches eastward a third well is drilled to the east of the two evaluation wells. An economic model is drafted to test run the several scenarios and to decide which possibilities there are to recover the oil. If the area proves to be indeed commercially profitable, it will take three to four years before production could be launched.
Uitkijk Block-South POC has also laid eyes on the southern part of the Uitkijk Block and is already planning exploration drillings for that area. Geological data for that area, however, is scarce. An analysis of the data gathered from the Uitkijk Block North will present a better picture of the area with prospective locations and depths of oil deposits in Uitkijk South.
Preparations for drilling exploration wells have already been made, including environment and social studies. The prospected well locations are mainly situated in residential areas and on land owned by third parties. Contact with the local community is therefore very important. Soon several consultation sessions with the community will be kicked off to inform them of the coming operations. Five possible locations have been projected for the three proposed wells. Geological data will be decisive for selecting the locations of the three wells, which lie quite far apart. This drilling program will commence, according to plan, in the final quarter of 2011.
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