Canadian TAG Oil revealed on June 16 that drilling will commence at T-200 well in the BED-1 field located at the Western Desert, following the drilling rig mobilization later this month.

The company said that the NDC-9 drilling rig is expected to be mobilized to the BED-1 location this month, with site preparation activities already underway and required regulatory approvals secured.

“The T-200 well represents the next step in TAG Oil’s ongoing evaluation of the Abu Roash Formation (ARF) and securing the NDC-9 drilling rig marks an important milestone,” said Abby Badwi, Executive Chairman and CEO of TAG Oil.

“With site preparation and activities progressing as planned, we look forward to commencing drilling next month and further evaluating the production potential of this reservoir,” Badwi added.

The vertical well is designed to reach a total depth of about 4,250 meters and will target the Abu Roash Formation (ARF), a naturally fractured reservoir where nearby wells have encountered light crude oil.

While Badr El Din Petroleum Company (Bapetco), the joint venture (JV)  between the Egyptian government and Cheiron runs the entire BED-1 field, TAG Oil’s involvement is limited to a service agreement focused on developing a specific subset of wells.

The field witnessed a rise in crude oil output to over 7,500 barrels per day (bbl/d) in January, representing a more than tenfold increase from the 800 bbl/d recorded when the company first assumed management of the site.