BP Egypt announced today another important gas discovery in the North Damietta offshore concession in the east Nile Delta.
The Atoll-1 deepwater exploration well, currently being drilled using the semi-submersible rig Maersk Discoverer, has reached 21,000 feet depth and penetrated about 164ft of gas pay in high quality Oligocene sandstones.
Expected to be the deepest well ever drilled in Egypt, the Atoll well still has another 1,100 yards to drill to test the same reservoir section found to be gas bearing in BP’s significant 2013 Salamat discovery, about nine miles to the south.
BP chief executive Bob Dudley said: “Success in Atoll further increases our confidence in the quality of the Nile Delta as a world class gas basin.
“This is the second significant discovery in the licence after Salamat. The estimated potential in the concession exceeds 5trillion cubic feet and we now have a positive starting point for the next possible major project in Egypt after BP’s west Nile Delta project.”
Hesham Mekawi, BP North Africa regional president, added: “The Atoll discovery is a great outcome for our second well in this core exploration programme in the east Nile Delta.
“It demonstrates BP’s continuous efforts to help in meeting Egypt’s energy demands by exploring the potential in the offshore Nile Delta.
“We are proud of our commitment to unlock Egypt’s exploration potential that requires large investments to utilise using the latest drilling and seismic technologies.”
Atoll-1 was drilled in 3,028ftwater depth around 80km north of Damietta city, 50 miles north of Salamat and only 28 miles to the north-west of Temsah offshore facilities. BP has 100% equity in the discovery.
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