Trillion to boost production at Black Sea gas field with additional wells

Trillion Energy is planning to add three sidetrack wells to the development program for the SASB gas field, increasing the total number of wells at the Black Sea project from 17 to 20.

Trillion Energy said it had identified several additional opportunities to increase production at the SASB gas field offshore Türkiye during 2023 by adding the three sidetrack wells to its development program.

Eleven well operations are expected to take place during this year, set to result in rapidly increased quantities of natural gas production.

Sidetrack wells and workovers take relatively less time than long-reach directional wells, 10-30 days versus 45-48 days for a new drill, thus, allowing for an increase in the number of planned wells for 2023, Trillion noted.

In addition, the sidetracks cost about $3 million less per well than long-reach directional wells as they use a large section of an existing wellbore where a ‘window’ is then milled out from the existing casing to create the new well. The South Akcakoca 2 well was drilled as a sidetrack last year.

“During 2023 we are focusing on using the Uranus rig to increase production through new wells, sidetracks and workovers. An added benefit of drilling side-tracks from existing well boreholes is that they are already tied into the pipeline and production facility, so once drilled and completed the wells are immediately put on production,” said Arthur Halleran, CEO of Trillion.

“We are currently in the process of getting our partner’s feedback on the proposed sidetracks. We are pleased to have developed a work program which permits continuous drilling over the year to enable us to exit 2023 with 13 wells.”

According to Trillion, the opportunity for the additional wells arose using experience gained from the recompletion of initial wells drilled last year as well as other geological works. Production volume, log evaluations, perforation intervals and gas production behavior have been evaluated to calculate the estimated remaining gas reserves in the East Ayazli gas field and Akkaya gas field.  

The Canadian oil and gas producer said it expects similar production volumes from the added sidetracks compared to other new wells planned in the drilling program. 

Trillion recently announced its plan to bring on eight new wells or workovers into production this year on the SASB field through continuous drilling.

To remind, the company spudded its first well, South Akçakoca-2, in the drilling campaign on the SASB natural gas field in September last year, after hiring the Uranus jack-up rig. The following month, the Canadian firm disclosed preliminary gas indications from this well, after numerous potential gas zones were identified on logging.

In November, the flow test results for this well were revealed and the company started the recompletion work on the second well – Akçakoca-3 – in its drilling program. Once the well came on stream, the company announced the well’s flow test results.

Trillion Energy reported at the end of November that the Uranus rig was repositioned to drill the West Akçakoca-1 well, the third one in the development program. At the time, the Canadian player underlined that both the West Akçakoca-1 and Guluc-2 wells would be spudded a few weeks apart and completed in sequence.

The company confirmed in mid-December that it had started drilling the fourth well – Guluc-2. Upon completion, the rig will move back and complete the West Akçakoca-1 well.