ENAP Makes Egyptian Oil Discovery

Chile's state-run oil company Empresa Nacional de Petroleo (ENAP) has made an oil discovery in Egypt's Sahara Desert through its international division Sipetrol.

Tests by Sipetrol in its Ganna 1 exploratory well in the North Bahariya block in the Western Desert sector of the Sahara have shown there is oil of between 36 and 39 API grade, a light crude.

The company predicts production in three successive stages of 200, 400 and 600 barrels per day from reserves at 7,500 feet (2,300 meters). "We are very happy with the results from well Ganna 1, which are showing that the efforts of our technical team in Egypt are bearing their first fruit," said Daniel Fernandez, director of ENAP.

ENAP expects to determine with greater precision, over the coming months, the magnitude of the reserves, said Manuel Sanchez, ENAP's exploration and production manager.