Roxi Petroleum said it expects to spud the Deep Well A6 in Kazakhstan in the next few days for a fixed cost of $8.5million.
The new deep well has a planned depth of 5,000metres targeting pre-salt intervals in the Cretaceous and is expected to take four months to reach its planned total depth.
A further two deep wells will also be drilled in the next 12 months with the timing and location dependent on findings from other existing deep wells.
Roxi said work is also continuing to assess a further two wells.
The company spudded Deep Well A5 two years ago with core sampling revealing the existence of a gross oil bearing interval of at least 105 metres.
Roxi said the well had been difficult to drill with a salt later of 130metres as well as high temperatures and pressures at the lower depths.
After a number of challenges the company said the board decided the best way forward was to side track the well with the intention of running casing and drill pipe the full length of the side-
tracked well to allow conventional testing.
A spokesman said: “The first side-track was successfully drilled to 4,400 meters but subsequently encountered similar problems to the original well caused by the excess drilling fluids, becoming stuck at a depth of 4,400 meters.
“However, following a smaller second side-track, the drilling stopped in the gross oil bearing zone. The prospective oil zone at A5 is therefore now set to be tested on an open-hole basis.”
Roxi has since opened and closed the well allowing both oil and drilling fluids to flow to the surface.
The company plans to test to determine flow rates once drilling fluids have been removed.
Meanwhile Deep Well 801, which was drilled by Sinopec at a fixed cost of $11million, is waiting on the outcome of a 20metre perforation test before work to clear excess drilling fluids and
unblocking of the well will resume.
Clive Carver, chairman, said: “The excess drilling fluids used during the drilling of both Deep Wells A5 and 801 are taking longer to remove than expected. It will only be once they are cleared away that meaningful unrestricted flow tests can be conducted.”
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