Tunisian offshore projects remain on course

Offshore staff

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- PA Resources (PAR) says operations at its Tunisian production facilities have continued without major disruption, despite the country’s recent political turmoil.

On the “7th of November” license north of the company’s Zarat offshore oil field, operator Sonde Resources drilled an appraisal well recently which confirmed the thickness of the hydrocarbon column.

The result will facilitate field unitization, entailing allocation of oil reserves to the two licenses housing the field. This will be used to form the basis for a revised plan of development for the Zarat field.

In the southern part of the Zarat license, processing has been completed of a 3D seismic survey, focusing on the Elyssa discovery. Analysis of the data is under way, and should be finished shortly.

At the offshore Didon field, most recent production has come from three of the five existing wells. PAR says it is implementing measures in all the wells to provide compensation for the field's natural decline. An updated statistical model of the field will be used to develop a new dynamic production profile model.

Development planning and procurement is also in progress for the Didon North discovery, 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of the Didon production platform. Work on construction and design of all new facilities below and above the water line will continue during the next few months – PAR expects first oil from Didon North during the second half of 2011.

02/17/2011