Dragon Oil has updated its ongoing drilling program in the Cheleken Contract Area of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.

Rig 40 completed the Dzheitune (Lam) 13/140A sidetrack with a single string to a depth of 2,237 m (7,339 ft), and tested for initial production at 2,123 b/d of oil.

This, the company claims, underlines the great potential of side tracking low productivity wells in the future.

Rig 40 has since returned to the Dzheitune Lam 13/163 well location to add further perforations in new intervals in order to improve the flow capacity of this well. The initial test rate from this well, achieved at deeper reservoir intervals in December, was 296 b/d.

The Iran Khazar completed the Dzheitune (Lam) A/165 well as a dual producer to a depth of 3,060 m (10,039 ft). The short and long strings tested at respective initial rates of 1,231 b/d and 1,041 b/d, respectively. 

Iran Khazar has since mobilized to the Dzheitune (Lam) C platform and has spudded the Dzheitune (Lam) C/167 development well.

Dragon CEO Dr Abdul Jaleel Al Khalifa added: “We exited 2011 at the production rate of 71,751 b/d, ahead of our 70,000 b/d target, which was reached in mid-December.”