During September-October 2019, Oryx Petroleum successfully drilled and completed the Banan 5 appraisal well on the Hawler Block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The well, which was spudded in September, is the company's third in its 2019 appraisal campaign on the Banan Field (Zagros Foldbelt Basin) and follows the Banan 7 well. It was designed to assess both the Tertiary and Cretaceous reservoirs and reached a TD of 1,669m. The well was subsequently completed in the Cretaceous and placed on production in October 2019.<P />Oryx's 2019 drilling programme on the Banan Field consists of a total of four wells, with targets in the Tertiary Pila Spi and Cretaceous reservoirs. It includes the Banan 6, Banan 7 and Banan 5 wells, as well as a workover of the Banan 1 discovery well. In total the company had budgeted around US$ 18 million for the drilling campaign. <P />In 2018, Oryx resumed operations at the Banan Field. Operations on the field were suspended in 2014 as a result of security developments and escalating instability in the region following the advance of Islamic State militants.<P />The Banan Field was discovered by Oryx in early 2014 with the Banan 1 NFW. The well had successfully flowed oil in two of six cased-hole DSTs, making it the company's fourth consecutive discovery on the Hawler Block. DST#1 flowed light oil (API 27-30deg) at a rate of 3,500 bo/d from the Lower Jurassic Butmah Formation over a 23 hour period through a 128/64" choke. DST#6 was conducted over an interval in the Upper Cretaceous Shiranish & Top Kometan formations, with the well flowing naturally over a period of 42 hours through a number of different choke sizes. A sustained flow rate of 820 bo/d (API 15-21deg) was achieved over a 12 hour period through a 128/64" choke.<P />Oryx holds a 65% interest in the Hawler Block and is partnered by Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) (15%) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (20%).
Banan 5 appraisal well on the Hawler Block in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Discoveries & Successful Wells