Cairn Energy, an oil and gas exploration and development company, has announced the testing of the SNE-3 appraisal well offshore Senegal, that will now be plugged and abandoned.

Cairn re-entered the SNE-3 well on the SNE oil field, 100km offshore Senegal, in January and the well was drilled with the Ocean Rig Athena drillship.

According to the oil company, operations have been completed following drilling, coring, logging and drill-stem testing (DST), and the well is now being plugged and abandoned.

Cairn’s analysis of the extensive dataset collected is continuing with initial results as follows:

– Two drill stem tests were conducted within the Upper Reservoirs, confirming the deliverability of these units;

DST 1a flowed at a maximum rate of ~5,400 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and a main flow rate of ~4,000 bopd over a 24 hour period from a 15 metre (m) zone;

For DST 1b an additional zone of 5.5m was added and a combined maximum rate of ~5,200 bopd measured, with an associated main flow rate of ~4,500 bopd over a six hour period;

Both main flow periods utilised a 56/64” choke.

– Multiple samples of oil and gas recovered to surface from wireline logs and drill stem tests;

– Confirmation of similar reservoir quality and correlation of the principal reservoir units between SNE-1, SNE-2 and SNE-3;

– 144m of continuous core taken across the entire reservoir interval with 100% recovery;

– Similar oil-down-to and oil-up-to depths seen in SNE-1 and SNE-2 – 101m gross (95m in SNE-1 and 103m in SNE-2);

– Initial indications confirm the same 32 degree API oil quality as seen in SNE-1 and SNE-2.

Cairn Energy Chief Executive Simon Thomson said: “Cairn is delighted with the flow rates from the latest well in the Senegal appraisal programme, which validate the scale and growth potential of the SNE field.

“The results have demonstrated the ability of the upper reservoirs to flow at commercially viable rates and we eagerly look forward to the results of the BEL-1 well which will commence operations shortly.”

Senegal JV partners: Cairn Energy PLC (Operator) 40%, ConocoPhillips 35%, FAR 15% and Petrosen 10%.

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