InterOil begins Elk-Antelope flow test
Written by OilOnline Press - April 27th, 2015
InterOil Corp. (IOC) has begun flow testing at the Elk-Antelope gas field in Papua New Guinea as part of the field appraisal.
"Antelope-5 has the best reservoir thickness, quality and fracture density of all wells on the field, which signifies a world-class reservoir," said Michael Hession, InterOil chief executive. "By flowing the well under different conditions, we will be able to calculate maximum potential flow rates and better understand reservoir size, productivity and connectivity."
Flow rate has been constrained by reservoir engineers to a maximum test rate of about 70 MMscf/d. Also, pressure gauges are planned to be placed in the field to monitor the pressure response during an extended test of Antelope-5.
The data from the testing would help the Elk-Antelope LNG Project, a joint venture of InterOil, Total of France, and Oil Search, to optimize design of the LNG plant and associated infrastructure, said Hession.
The joint venture is finalizing plans for field testing, including drilling another well, Antelope-6, to define the eastern flank of the reservoir.
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, was told during a visit to the site that the venture remained on track to select a preferred development concept by mid-year, to begin early development work in 2016, and to award contracts for construction in 2017.
