Dana Gas has announced the discovery of a new gas well drilled in its Egyptian concessions, adding a further new well to what were already considered important earlier discoveries by the company in Egypt’s Nile Delta, first announced last August.
The Dabayaa-2 delineation well was drilled by Centurion Petroleum Corporation, the upstream division of Dana Gas in Egypt, on the eastern side of the West Manzala concession, in order to appraise the Dabayaa-1 discovery well in the Lower Abu Madi Sandstone formation.
The well was drilled to a total depth of around 3,000 metres and encountered gas bearing zones in both the Upper and Lower Abu Madi formations.
The Lower Abu Madi formation was tested and found to flow at a gas rate of over 10 million cubic feet per day, and 240 barrels per day of condensate, and will provide a further boost to Dana Gas production and revenues from Egypt.
“We are very pleased with the results we obtained from Dabayaa-2, which confirm our high expectations for the potential of the Abu Madi formation in this block,” said Dr Hany El-Sherkawi, Dana Gas Egypt country director.
“The Lower Abu Madi formation was tested previously, but this is the first time that we have been able to confirm the productivity in the Upper Abu Madi formation,” he added.
“The gathering pipe line from Dabayaa-2 is under construction, and the well should be flowing on-stream before the end of December.”
Dana Gas is the sixth highest natural gas producer in Egypt from among the 64 companies operating in the country.
Dana Gas is the Middle East’s first and largest regional private-sector natural gas company.
A report this month confirmed that Dana Gas was the only private company from the region to make new Middle East oil and gas discoveries in 2007, with important discoveries already announced from wells drilled earlier this year including: El-Wastani EWW-2, West Manzala-1, and Komombo-1, which was re-named ‘Al-Baraka’ by Egyptian Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmy.
In November, Egyptian Prime Minister Dr Ahmed Nazif received Dana Gas executive chairman Hamid Dhiya Jafar, who updated the premier on the company’s ongoing operations and investments in Egypt, including the first commercial oil discovery ever made in Southern Egypt in early September 2007 and further projects under development.
Jafar also presented the “Dana Gas City” proprietary concept of developing local gas-based industries which the Company is developing in several countries of the region, and which encompasses an integrated community optimising natural gas utilisation.
The Dana Gas City concept is in line with Egypt’s current policy of maximising economic and social benefits of its natural gas resources to the country.
Egypt’s natural gas reserves have doubled in the last five years to over 70 trillion cu ft.
Dana Gas is currently also leading a consortium to build and operate the Gulf of Suez Gas LPG Plant, in partnership with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (Egas) and the Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (Apicorp), with construction on schedule for the first quarter of 2008.
