NZOG Reports Strong Test Flows from Kupe Field

Kupe Field
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The three Kupe field production wells have together test flowed a total of over 115 million standard cubic feet a day and a condensate flow of over 15,000 barrels a day, one of the Kupe partners New Zealand Oil & Gas (NZOG) reports. The wells will now be shut in as the Ensco 107 jackup rig prepares to move to the Momoho-1 exploration well location 6 km southeast of the Kupe platform.

NZOG reported the separate test flows from the three wells.

The first development well Kupe South-8 (KS-8) flowed at a sustained gas rate of 33 mmscf/d and a condensate rate of 3,840 of stock tank barrels a day (bbls/d).

The KS-8 test was from a 62 m interval from 3,513 m to 3,575 m measured depth below rotary table (mdrt). The test was flowed through a 1 inch choke at surface flowing pressure of 2,100 psig.

The second development well KS-6 test flowed at a sustained gas rate of 41 mmscf/d and a condensate rate of 5,130 bbls/d. The KS-6 test was from an interval of 92 m between depths of 3,014 mdrt and 3,106 mdrt.

The KS-6 well was tested at a choke size of 56/64 inches and 3,030 psig.

NZOG reported the third development well the Kupe South 7 sidetrack (KS-7 ST1) flowed at a sustained gas rate of 41.8 mmscf/d and a condensate rate of 6,393 bbls/d. The KS-7 ST1 test was from a 92 m interval between depths of 3,188 mdrt and 3,280 mdrt.

The KS-7 ST1 was tested at a choke size of 56/64 inches and 3,051 psig.

The Kupe project is expected to be completed by mid-2009 and produce approximately 254 petajoules of natural gas, 1.1 million tonnes of LPG and 14.7 million barrels of light oil/condensate.

The development will comprise production wells tied into an unmanned offshore platform, a 30 km pipeline to shore, and an onshore processing station.

Kupe is located south of New Zealand's Taranaki Peninsula. Partners are operator Origin Energy (50%), Genesis Energy (31%), NZOG (15%), and Mitsui E&P NZ (4%).