Apache Corporation announced the discovery of natural gas and condensate in its Alexandrite 1X well, from a recompletion in the Alam El-Bueib 6 (AEB 6) formation on Apache’s Matruh Concession in the Western Desert of Egypt.
In a statement by Apache, the well tested 19.8 million cubic feet of gas and 4,045 barrels of condensate per day, representing the first commercial production from the AEB 6 formation on the concession.
Apache is planning additional drilling for Jurassic and AEB targets in the Alexandrite 1X area during this year.
Since the beginning of 2007, Apache revealed a series of new wells that were successfully tested or in the process of being tested, creating new reserves in Egypt; Qasr 34, Qasr 36, Qasr 40, Hathor Deep 1X and Kenz 35.
Apache’s Qasr 34 was tested at 18.4 million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas and 725 barrels of condensate per day. The well, drilled to a total depth of 14,000 feet, adds 2,200 acres to the Qasr field, which extends it by 2.5 km to the northwest.
The Qasr 36 well, a new Alam El-Bueib (AEB) discovery, flowed around 2,945 barrels of oil and 2.1 MMcf of gas per day in tests. The Qasr 40 recorded 60 feet of net oil pay in the AEB 3E sands, in addition to secondary pay intervals in the AEB 3A and 3C.
The Hathor Deep 1X on the Khalda Offset Concession discovered gas in the AEB 6 formation and oil in the AEB 3D. The well tested 12 MMcf of gas and 1,237 bpd respectively from the two separate formations.
The Kenz 35 well, drilled 1 km northwest of the nearest producing well in the Kenz field located on the Khalda Ridge, recorded 140 feet of AEB net pay as well as 18 feet of net pay in the Upper Bahariya. The well will be completed in the AEB 3E formation as a gas and condensate producer.

(Oil Egypt & Apache statement)