This was a good move by the management.3 Sep 2020 08:12
On a more positive note, early in 2019, management identified an opportunity to utilise slim hole well technology as an advantageous way of developing relatively shallow hydrocarbon resources. Initially using a contractor owned slim hole rig, the Company drilled a six slim hole wells in and around the Uzen oil field. This was in general a successful undertaking and provided the drilling team with valuable experience which has been put to use for the remainder of the programme. In mid-2019, the decision was taken to acquire a Company-owned slim hole rig at a cost of US$0.7 million, equivalent to approximately 18 months of rig rental. By the end of 2019, a total of six slim hole wells had been drilled and three others were in progress.
Based on the experience acquired with slim hole drilling, an extended drilling programme fully utilizing two rigs has been proposed comprising 8 new wells during 2020, 6 on Uzen and 2 on VM, and a further 20 wells during 2021-2022. In addition to the development drilling programme there are plans for seven exploratory wells to be drilled on identified structures in the Group's Karpenskiy licence area. While success with any one of these cannot be assumed, management is optimistic of being able to report a measure of success in finding new oil reserves for the Group. Equally importantly, any newly discovered oil reserves can be rapidly and cost-effectively brought into production.
Included among the eight production wells included in the slim hole drilling programme are two new wells on the VM field, which will be required to produce the identified remaining reserves in the field, and a new well on the Sobolevskoye field, a small currently non-producing field in the Group's Urozhainoye-2 licence area.