WesternZagros Resources has started its latest Garmian Block drilling program in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Mil Qasim Upper Bakhtiari-1 well was spudded on May 19, 2013. This is the first of a planned three-well program to test the potential of the shallow Upper Bakhtiari Formation. With the two deeper Hasira-1 and Baram-1 well included, this is also the first of the Company's five well Garmian drilling program planned for 2013.

Simon Hatfield, CEO of WesternZagros commented:

'Spudding this well is a key step in testing the Upper Bakhtiari Formation, a new reservoir which exhibited oil shows when we drilled the Mil Qasim-1 well in 2011/2012. Subsequent review of logs and seismic data identified a relatively shallow, low-cost prospect. We are also on track with our higher impact Garmian wells: at Hasira-1 the rig is being assembled for spudding in the next few weeks; and at Baram-1 the site construction is advancing and the rig is being transported for a mid-third quarter spud. Also, at Kurdamir-3 we are making good drilling progress. With four active rigs, 2013 promises to be the busiest year in our history to date.'

GARMIAN BLOCK (Operated by WesternZagros)

Upper Bakhtiari Drilling Program

Upper Bakhtiari-1 was spudded on the crest of the Mil Qasim Structure. It is the first of three wells planned to explore the potential of the shallow (500 to 700 metres depth) Upper Bakhtiari Formation in the southern part of the Garmian Block. Testing results are anticipated in the third quarter of 2013.

Hasira-1 Exploration and Appraisal Well

The drilling rig for the Hasira-1 exploration and appraisal well is on location and in the final stages of preparation for a spud date in early June, 2013. This well has two objectives: the first is to appraise the extent of the oil leg previously discovered in the Jeribe reservoir at the Sarqala-1 well; the second is to explore the deeper Oligocene reservoir that could not be evaluated when drilling Sarqala-1. The Company believes that this deeper interval is equivalent to the one recently tested at high rates in the Chia Surkh-10 well on the adjacent block to the southeast of the Garmian Block. The Hasira-1 well is designed to be completed in either the Jeribe or the Oligocene reservoir depending on testing results. Hasira-1 is expected to take approx. seven months to drill to a planned total depth of 4,100 metres.

Baram-1 Exploration Well

The Baram-1 well is on track to spud in the third quarter of 2013, in order to explore a potential extension of the oil leg in the Oligocene reservoir of the Kurdamir discovery into the Garmian Block. WesternZagros expects the well to take approx. five months to reach the planned total depth of 3,800 metres. A drilling rig has been deployed from North America for this well.

KURDAMIR BLOCK (Operated by Talisman (Block K44) B.V.)

Kurdamir-3 Appraisal Well

Drilling operations began at the Kurdamir-3 appraisal well on the giant Kurdamir oil discovery on February 22, 2013. Currently, casing is being set in the top seal above the targeted Oligocene reservoir at a depth of approx. 2,400 metres before drilling continues to a planned total depth of 2,800 metres. The well is being drilled on the southwest flank of the Kurdamir structure to appraise the vertical and areal extent of the oil leg in the Oligocene reservoir. Kurdamir-3 is approx. three and five kilometres from the Kurdamir-1 and Kurdamir-2 discoveries respectively. Testing results from Kurdamir-3 are anticipated in the third quarter.

Original article link

Source: WesternZagros

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