Empyrean Regulatory News (EME)

21 Jul 2008 07:42



Empyrean Energy PLC 

("Empyrean" or the "Company"; Ticker: (EME))

Sugarloaf Prospect, ("Sugarloaf"), Block B,  Texas USA

Kowalik #1H well spuds in on Block B

Empyrean Energy Plc, the oil and gas explorer and producer with assets in Germany and the USA provides the following update on operations:

Kowalik #1H Well 

Empyrean has been advised by the Operator of the Sugarloaf AMI, Texas Crude Energy Inc ("TCEI"), that Kowalik #1H spudded on 00:00 hrs 18 July 2008 and as at 06:00hrs 20 July 2008 (US CST) preparations were being made to commence drilling the 12 1/4" hole section having set and cemented 13 3/8" casing at a depth of 825 ft. The well is located approximately 5km north of the Kennedy #1H well and on trend from producing wells (TCEI JV Block A-1 and A-3) in Block A. As previously advised, the well is engineered to take advantage of the knowledge gained from work carried out within the Sugarkane Gas and Condensate field and an analogous offset field in the region. It will target the upper pay interval that has successfully produced gas and condensate in Block A. The well is planned to be drilled vertically to approximately 12,000 feet, as a pilot hole, when it will be logged, plugged back and kicked off to drill a 6,000ft horizontal section in the upper pay interval of the Austin Chalk. It is estimated it will take a minimum 30 days to drill the pilot hole and approximately a further 40-60 days to conclude the drilling of the horizontal section. The Joint Venture is working towards this well being the first in a continuous sequence of 4 wells.Kennedy #1H Well 

The second stage of fracture stimulation (frac) took place on Thursday 3rd July. As previously advised, in preparation for the stimulation, an additional three sets of perforations, each 3 ft long, were placed in between those used for the first stimulation in the bottom 600 ft of the well. The fracture operation successfully placed approximately 100,000 lbs of high strength proppant into the fractures before high pumping pressures prevented the full program being completed which represented 90% of the planned fluids and 50% of the planned proppant. Flow back initially recovered about 1,200 barrels of the 6,540 barrels of fluids pumped during fracture operations along with trace amounts of gas and condensate recovered towards the end of this period. Clean out operations were implemented  to wash out fracture proppant that was left in the well bore as a result of the early termination of the frac and well production testing of the well resumed on 15 July 2008. The well flowed initially at an unstabilized rate of approximately 425,000 cubic feet gas per day, 106 barrels condensate per day and 48 barrels of water per day. After a few hours at these rates the well commenced slugging and produced intermittently with rates varying between 46 to 107 barrels of condensate per day and gas rates of 200,000 to 300,000 cubic feet per day with periodic influxes of water. To ensure that the remaining frac water (at least 5,000 barrels has not yet been recovered from the most recent fracture stimulation) was not preventing the well from unloading efficiently, coiled tubing was mobilised to the rig site on Friday 18th July. Two attempts have been made to use nitrogen to jet the water and condensate from the well bore. Although additional fluid was recovered, the operation did not improve the flow rates. The well has recovered 44 barrels of fluid with associated gas in the last 24 hours, with the most recent fluid sample showing 80 % condensate. The well will continue to be monitored. 

Empyrean has an 18% working interest in both of these wells.

Further updates will be provided following developments.

The information contained in this announcement was completed and reviewed by the Technical Director of Empyrean Energy Plc, Mr Frank Brophy BSc (Hons) who has over 40 years experience as a petroleum geologist.

For further information: 

Empyrean Energy plc 

Tel: +44(0) 207 182 1746 

Rod Venables / Cecil Jordaan  

HB Corporate 

Tel: +44(0) 207 510 8600 

Jonathan Charles / Ed Portman 

Conduit PR 

Tel: +44 (0) 207 429 6611 / +44 (0) 7791 892 509