The well’s primary target was the J-IIb Jurassic reservoir, with a secondary exploratory target in the Triassic. The reservoir is well developed, as expected. While Triassic reservoirs are productive in the adjacent Makat Field, wells have only produced from the Jurassic and Neocomian intervals in Zhana Makat.
A successful production test in the Triassic is expected to represent a new discovery and extension of the Zhana Makat Field.
Max Petroleum is running production casing in the well, after which the Sun ZJ-30 drilling rig will move on to drill the KAW-1 exploration well on the Karsak West prospect in Block E. The company will complete and test the ZMA-A15 well using a workover rig over the next several weeks.
Michael Young, president and CFO of Max Petroleum, said: “Finding new Triassic potential in the Zhana Makat Field reflects the application of learnings from the company’s ongoing post-salt exploration program in Blocks A&E.
“Our technical team moved the original location of the ZMA-A15 well to evaluate the field’s Triassic potential in response to our earlier Triassic discovery in the Borkyldakty Field, as well as our revised estimate of the Triassic potential in our upcoming Karsak West prospect that we expect to begin drilling by the end of August.”
