Mubadala set to kick-off three-well Manora drilling campaign

UAE-based Mubadala Petroleum has decided to drill, complete, and put on production three wells in the Manora field in the Gulf of Thailand.

According to Tap Oil, a partner in the project, the Valaris 115 jack-up drilling rig is scheduled to start the 2020 development drilling campaign on Friday, 15 May.

The company added that these drilling operations represent cost-effective opportunities for Tap to develop undeveloped reserves with a total estimated cost of $3.4 million net to the company for the entire three-well program.

Also, the JV parties will workover the MN-15 well to replace an electric submersible pump and workover the MNA-7 well to add water disposal capacity during the drilling campaign.

The total cost of the two workovers for Tap is $0.64 million bringing the expected total cost of the development drilling and workover program to $4.04 million.

The primary objective of the MNA-25 deviated development well is to produce oil in the 600 series reservoirs of the Manora Central Fault block.

The well will be drilled close to the existing MNA-01 well, targeting 610, 620 and 650 sands in an updip location. MNA-01 is still producing at 680 bopd gross with 84% water cut from the 650 sand.

The well will be drilled to a maximum measured depth of 2,400m and completed with a multi-zone completion. Mubadala’s estimated initial production rate is 1,100 bopd.

This horizontal development well will be targeting production of potentially undrained oil in the 370-10 reservoir that was first developed by the 2019 MNA-24.

The well will include an approximate 400-metre horizontal section in the upper 370-10 reservoir completed with a sand screen. MNA-26 will be drilled to a maximum measured depth of 2,225 metres. Its estimated initial production rate is 1,100 bopd.

This new deviated well from a new platform slot effectively twins the MNA-22 well drilled in 2019 that was unable to be put into production at the time due to poor cement bond behind the production casing.

Petrophysical interpretation of MNA-22 well logs showed a total oil net pay of 56.5 metres in the 490 and 500 series sands.

The MNA-27 well will target these well-developed sands and provide an additional reservoir drainage point in the highly productive Eastern Fault Block of the Manora oil field.

The well will be drilled to a maximum measured depth of 2,011 metres and is targeting an initial production rate of 1,400 bopd.

The electric submersible pump (ESP) on the MNA-15 well failed in February 2019 when the well was producing at 487 bopd gross. The workover is planned to replace the ESP and bring the well back into production.

The Operator expects the well to produce at an initial rate of 300 bopd.

The MNA-07 well was shut-in in November 2019, while producing uneconomically at a very high water cut. The well began production in January 2015 and has produced a total of 0.34 million barrels of oil gross, from multiple 600 and 400 series sand zones in Manora’s Eastern Fault Block.

The well will be completed as a water disposal well in shallow reservoirs and will provide additional water disposal capacity to help optimise Manora production and ultimate oil recovery.

Mubadala last December completed its exploration drilling campaign at Manora oil field with disappointing results.

The JV partners approved a three-well program, plus a contingent appraisal sidetrack well, at the end of October 2019.

The first well, the Inthanin-1, spudded on November 20, 2019, provided no significant hydrocarbon shows while the second well in the campaign, Yothaka East-1, provided mixed results.

As a result, Mubadala decided not to drill the third exploration well in the campaign, but instead to drill an appraisal well via a sidetrack from Yothaka East.

Mubadala increased its interest in its operated G1/48 Concession in the Gulf of Thailand, which includes the Manora field back in March.

Namely, Northern Gulf Petroleum had agreed to transfer its 10 per cent shareholding in the Manora block to Mubadala.

Upon finalization of the transfer, Tap Oil will have a 30 per cent interest in the field while Mubadala will hold the remaining 70 per cent and operatorship.