Sidi Dhaher Prospect
The Sidi Dhaher Prospect is part of the 2428sq km Chorbane Exploration Permit onshore central Tunisia, near the port city of Sfax. The permit is surrounded by several producing oil fields and extensive oil and gas infrastructure. Verus Investments has a 10 per cent working interest in the Sidi Dhaher Prospect.
The Sidi Dhaher-1 well spudded on 26 August 2011 and drilled to a depth of 2011m.
Reservoir pressure and fluid samples obtained during the electric line logging operations confirmed the presence of oil in the deeper Bireno formation. Analysis of logs, mud cuttings, formation pressure and fluid samples confirmed a thick, porous and permeable Bireno reservoir with an oil column estimated at 30m. The Bireno formation in several nearby fields has proven to be very productive.
Revised mapping was performed with re-interpreted seismic utilising well data which resulted in a mean contingent reserve estimate of 51 mmbbls of oil.
In January 2012, operator ADX Energy confirmed a rig would be moved to site and the well prepared for testing. Verus expects Sidi Dhaher to be tested over the current quarter and prospects on the Chorbane Block to be reviewed. The confirmation of recoverable volumes and resulting potential reserves are contingent upon a successful well test with the objective of proving commercial flow rates and likely recovery factors.
Left: Challenger rig 37 on site.
Above: Rig inspector at work.
The Chorbane Permit is in the southwest part of the Pelagian Basin and large undrilled structures have been identified there. ADX Energy has identified five targets with reserve potential of 44 million barrels of oil (5.9 million tons) and 175 billion cubic feet of gas (5 million cubic metres) on the permit. Additional targets exist in the deeper Douleb and Bireno reservoirs that produce oil and gas in the Guebiba-El Hajeb field immediately east of the Chorbane permit.
The multi-reservoir Sidi Dhaher Prospect is the largest structure mapped and currently the most highly ranked of these. The structure has significant closure at Eocene through to the Lower Cretaceous reservoirs that add significant upside and reduce the risk of the prospect.
Work on Sidi Dhaher identified an Eocene Metlaoui flat spot, or direct hydrocarbon indicator (DHI), which ADX interprets to be indicative of trapped hydrocarbons.Other zones of interest in the Sidi Dhaher well require further detailed investigation. Some of these zones may also be tested if analysis confirms them to be of economic interest.