Oil & Gas Innovation OGI Autumn 2019 | Page 64

NEWS - RUSSIA & CIS Plexus Wellhead Equipment Deployed for Russian Operator P lexus Holdings’ Russian licensee Gusar has installed the first wellhead for Gazprom as part of the previously announced contract to supply POS-GRIP rental wellhead gas exploration equipment to Gazprom. Gusar secured its first major contract to supply POS-GRIP rental wellhead gas exploration equipment to Gazprom in March 2019. Plexus said on Tuesday that the wellhead installation marked the beginning of Gusar’s contracted work with Gazprom for the first year of an up to five-year jack-up gas exploration drilling program on the Kara Sea Shelf at shallow water depths of up to 150 meters. Plexus CEO, Ben Van Bilderbeek, said: “The deployment of this first wellhead avails Gazprom of the many technical advantages of POS- GRIP technology. We are pleased that such a major global operator, after considering the available alternatives, has made the choice in favor of POS-GRIP technology for working in the Arctic conditions. “It was for the same reasons that the likes of BP, Centrica, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and all those on the long list of operators that have used our proprietary POS-GRIP technology favored POS-GRIP equipment, often in their most complex drilling programs around the world.” Gusar’s General Director, Alexander Beryozkin, said: “We are pleased to start our relationship with Gazprom as a local supplier of POS-GRIP technology.”• Zenith Energy Announce Increased Production Figures Z enith Energy Ltd., (“Zenith” or the “Company”), the international oil & gas production company operating onshore in Azerbaijan, announced an update on drilling results at well C-37 in the Jafarli oilfield. The Company can confirm that continued flow testing of the well recorded a production rate of approximately 285 barrels of oil per day, adding significant uplift to Zenith’s total in country production figure. Yearly revenue of approximately US$5,500,000 is expected to be generated from C-37, and a stabilised flow rate of 285 represents a 114% increase in the Company’s daily oil production. Further stimulation of the well, which may include swabbing operations as well as the performance of nitrogen stimulation, may further increase the rate of production. The Company will update the market in due course regarding these operations. C-30 Drilling Operations Mobilisation of Zenith’s 1,200hp drilling rig to the C-30 well location is expected to take place before the end of October 2019. Andrea Cattaneo, Chief Executive Officer of Zenith, commented: “We are pleased with the success we have achieved at well C-37. The additional production, and associated net cash flow, is extremely positive and indicates that we are progressing with our strategy of materially increasing our oil production in Azerbaijan. I look forward to updating investors in due course regarding the mobilisation of our drilling rig to the C-30 well location.” • 64 Equinor to Assess Hydrocarbon Potential of Areas in Kazakhstan K azMunayGas, Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil and gas company, and Norwegian oil and gas giant Equinor have signed a joint study agreement to assess the hydrocarbon potential of oil and gas areas in Kazakhstan. On September 24, 2019, Alik Aidarbayev, Chairman of the Management Board at JSC NC KazMunayGas (KMG) met with Tore Loseth, Senior Vice President for Exploration at Equinor. KMG said on Tuesday that the meeting attendees had highlighted the importance of the cooperation between Kazakhstan and Norway on oil and gas business and expressed their interest in joint study of some oil and gas areas in Kazakhstan in order to be awarded subsoil use contracts going forwards. To that effect, the companies signed a joint study agreement as part of their long-term mutually beneficial cooperation. The document was signed by Dastan Abdulgafarov, Chief of Staff, Managing Director for Development at KMG and Tore Loseth, Senior Vice President for Exploration at Equinor. The agreement provides for geological and geophysical studies to assess the hydrocarbon potential of oil and gas areas in Kazakhstan. “We expect that this agreement will serve as the basis of successful cooperation in future. Both companies are ready to consider Equinor as a strategic partner under exploration and production contracts in Kazakhstan,” Alik Aidarbayev said. •