Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) has suspended the Nusrat X-1 new field wildcat (NFW) well within the Naushahro Firoz 2668-9 EL (Middle Indus Basin) onshore concession in February 2019 after carrying out testing. The company was carrying out rigless testing, initiated in September 2018, after drilling to a TD of 4,705 m. Nusrat X-1 was spudded on 31 May 2018 using the âWDI-812â land rig with a prognosed TD of 4,670 m in the Jurassic.  PPL had initiated sidetrack in Nusrat X-1 in late June 2018 after reaching a depth of 2,474 m and the well was drilling at 2,500 m depth in the sidetrack hole during early July 2018. It progressed to 4,135 m depth by the end of the month.    The block, which covers an area of 2,494 sq km, is located in the Naushahro Feroz and Nawabshah districts of the Sindh province. It was exclusively awarded to PPL on 4 June 2010. PPL then assigned 10% working interest in the block to Asia Resource Oil Ltd with effect from 26 May 2011, as a result, the current equity split is as follows: Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (90%, operator) and Asia Resource Oil Ltd (AROL) (10%). It was subsequently reported in late 2017 that that AROLâs interests in this block are being transferred to PPL.    PPL had announced the Naushahro Firoz X-1 tight gas discovery in March 2014 which was drilled to a TD of 3,773 m in the Chiltan Formation. A cased hole drill stem test (CHDST) was carried out and flow rates from the well, after acidisation, varied from a maximum of 11.2 MMcfg/d (along with 120 bc/d) at flowing wellhead pressure (FWHP) of 2,635 psia to a minimum of 1.7 MMcfg/d at FWHP of 375 psia through a 32/64â choke. The company subsequently drilled successful Naushahro Firoz Hor 1 (NF-Hor 1) tight gas appraisal well in 2017.    Â     Background Information    Naushahro Firoz EL was among the 53 blocks offered under the 2009 Pakistan Bid Round, which was launched from 25 June to 30 September 2009. It is understood that Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL) and Pakistan Exploration Ltd (PEL) had submitted the rival bids for this concession. Only one well is known to have been drilled on the acreage by the time of award - Sagyun 1, which was P&A at a depth of 4,236m in the Cretaceous Lower Goru Formation by OGDC in May 1993.     PPL acquired a total of 194 line km 2D seismic over the block in a campaign carried out between September-October 2012, having previously acquired 653 line km during a 2D seismic campaign between November 2010 and March 2011.    After making Naushahro Firoz X-1 tight gas discovery in March 2014, PPL drilled Gohar X-1 exploration well which was plugged and abandoned in July 2014. It had a prognosed TD of 1,571 m and was drilled to a TD of 1,629 m.    PPL acquired 855 sq km 3D seismic in the block during January-July 2015 using the BGP â9501-Bâ seismic crew. The company was granted an additional 12-month extension to the Phase-I of initial exploration period of Naushahro Firoz EL with effect from 4 June 2015.     PPL entered into Phase-II of initial exploration period of Naushahro Firoz EL with effect from 4 June 2016.    On 20 July 2017, PPL announced the successful drilling of Naushahro Firoz Hor 1 (NF-Hor 1) tight gas well. The preliminary results indicated that the well flowed 1.3 MMcfg/d and 9 bc/d through 32/64â choke. This flow rate was from stage 1 whereas PPL had a plan to carry out 10 stage multi frac job which could significantly increase the flow potential. This is considered as one of the deepest and longest horizontal well in tight carbonate reservoir within the country. It was drilled as a sidetrack from the companyâs Naushahro Firoz X-1 (NF X-1) discovery well after re-entering on 11 May 2017.     On 1 January 2018, PPL announced further details about the successful Naushahro Firoz Hor 1 (NF-Hor 1) tight gas appraisal. The well was drilled to a TD of 4,940 m (3,521 m TVD) using the Hilong Oil Serviceâs âHL-17â land rig and it include 1.3 km horizontal section in the carbonates of Jurassic Chiltan Formation. The well was completed with 10-stage open hole packers and fracking sleeves within the Chiltan limestone â all 10 stages were tested which after fraccing and acidisation flowed 4.5 MMcfg/d with 1,850 psi flowing wellhead pressure.  PPL was granted a seven-month extension to the Phase-II of initial term of Naushahro EL from 4 June 2018 to 3 January 2019. It was followed by a further nine-month extension from 4 January 2019 to 3 October 2019.
Nusrat X-1 (NFW) (PPL 90%, Asia Resources 10%) within the Naushahro Firoz 2668-9 EL onshore concession, well suspended in February 2019, after carrying out testing. To date a result has not been reported.