Big new find in Kurdistan

Anglo-Turkish Genel Energy has made a big find onshore Kurdistan. 

Today Genel said a test well had flowed at rates of nearly 12,000 b/d of oil after drilling the first of five exploration wells on the Chia Surkh prospect in Kurdistan this year. 

Already the company is discussing bringing the discovery onstream by 2014 after the Chia Surkh 10 well was drilled to a depth of 1,696 metres (5,562 feet) into a Oligo-Miocene structure. Testing over several days resulted in flow rates of up to 11,950 b/d of 41ｺ API oil and 15 Mmcf/d of gas. Reservoir measurements indicated a well head flowing pressure of 2,000 pounds per square inch. 

Further drill stem tests are planned on the discovery, which according to Genel has 94 square kilometres of closure. 

"We intend to carry out a rapid appraisal and development programme and expect to have an early production scheme operating in the first half of 2014," declared Genel Energy chief executive Tony Hayward. "Over the same period we will be evaluating and drilling a number of other prospects we have in the Chia Surkh licence," Hayward said.

Hayward  said Chia Surkh marked the first of five planned exploration well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which are planned by Genel Energy this year. "To have made a discovery of such potential materiality at this early stage is highly encouraging," Hayward added.