In Late March 2019, Esh El Mellaha Co. (Eshpetco) abandoned Wadi El Sahl North 1ST1 exploration well, a sidetrack of the Wadi El Sahl North 1 discovery, in the West Esh El Mellaha (WEEM) development lease, southern onshore Gulf of Suez basin as a dry hole at a TD of 2,879 m in the basement. The well was spudded on 1 March 2019, using the âShams-2â land rig.  The company abandoned another sidetrack of the Wadi El Sahl North 1, Wadi El Sahl North 1ST, in late February 2019 at a TD of 2,433 m in the Nukhul formation. The well was spudded on 26 January 2019.   The primary objective for the two wells was the Lower Miocene Nukhul formation and the secondary objectives were the Cretaceous Matulla and the Nubia formation.  Eshpetco is a JV between Lukoil and EGPC. Lukoil operates the block with a 100% interest.  Background information  At end-January 1999, Eshpetco suspended well Wadi El Sahl North 1 as a potential Nukhul oil well in its West Esh El Mellaha (WEEM) development lease located on the southern Gulf of Suez. The well was completed as an oil producer. The intervals 2,643-2,649 m in the Matulla Formation and 2,417-2,424 m in the Nukhul Formation were perforated for tests. Preliminary results indicate that oil has flowed to surface from the Nukhul interval. The presence of oil indicates that oil generating capability has been extended in the WEEM concession at least 3 km from the Rabeh Field to the Wadi El Sahl North 1 area. It would appear that the Wadi El Sahl N-1 well crossed a fault above the Nukhul and reached TD in the downthrown side of the fault.   The well is located on a prospect identified in 1996 to the south-west of Rabeh. As Abu Marwa North 1, the well offsets a discovery made to the south by Seagull in the South Hurghada block, now in the Wadi El Sahl development lease operated by Washpetco and carved out from the South Hurghada license. The well will take approximately one month to drill to almost 2,000 m sub-surface at a cost of about USD 1 million. The company is using the Santa Fe 169 rig.   The development lease was operated by West Esh El Mellaha Petroleum Company or âEshpetcoâ, at that time, a joint-venture company between Coplex, Cabre and EGPC established in December 1997 with the carving out of the 82 kmÂ² concession from the southeastern portion of the West Esh El Mellaha (WEEM) exploration block.
Esh El Mellaha Co. (Eshpetco) abandoned Wadi El Sahl North 1ST1 exploration well, a sidetrack of the Wadi El Sahl North 1 discovery, in the West Esh El Mellaha (WEEM) development lease, southern onshore Gulf of Suez basin as a dry hole at a TD of 2,879 m in the basement. 