Italian company Eni increased production of its first well in the Baltim South-West gas field to about 100m cubic feet per day (scf/day) instead of 50m scf/day during the past week. This is a move to increase the company’s production rates and compensate for the natural decline of wells.
The ministry of petroleum confirmed in an official statement yesterday, which was published by Daily News Egypt in its 12 September issue, the gradual production of the first well in the Baltim field.
A source at the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) told DNE that the Baltim field contains about six gas wells with an average production of between 75 and 100m scf/day, bringing the total production of the project to 500m scf/day.
The ministry of petroleum said in a statement that the remaining five wells in the field will be developed during the second quarter of next year.
Eni has extended an 18 km, 26-inch offshore line, and 25 km, 26-inch onshore line, and manufactured and installed the offshore production platform within the development work of the Baltim South-West gas field three months ahead of schedule.
The Baltim field is located in Nooros area in the shallow waters of the Nile Delta, 12 km from the coast and 10 km from the Nooros field with an initial production rate of about 100m scf/day through a new offshore production platform connected to the Abu Madi onshore gas station through a 44 km long pipeline.
Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, received a report on the executive status of the Baltim gas field project and the development of the first well as well as the development timetable.
Noteworthy, the discovery of natural gas in the region of South Baltim, east of the Nile Delta, was announced in June 2016, and is located near the Nooros field, which currently produces more than 1bn scf/day.
British Petroleum holds a 50% stake in the South Baltim development contract, while Eni, through its subsidiary Italian Egyptian Oil Company (IEOC), owns the other 50%. The well was drilled by Petrobel, a joint venture between IEOC and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).
The statement of the ministry of petroleum highlighted dividing the production between the EGPC and the contractor (ENI and BP), according to the production sharing ratios set by the oil agreements.
