Beacon increases Erfelden best estimate reserves

Beacon Energy plc has nearly doubled its Erfelden field reserves estimate after including drill results of the Schwarzbach-2(2.) well.

QUALITY RESERVOIRS

The field in Hessen comprises four juxtaposed structural compartments of Kuehkopf, Stockstadt Mitte, Schwarzbach Main and Schwarzbach South.

SCHB-2(2.) previously encountered a 34-metre gross interval containing 28m of oil-bearing net reservoirs in the Pechelbronner-Schichten (PBS) sandstones within Stockstadt Mitte.

Re-mapping of 3D seismic data indicated that the Stockstadt Mitte-1 well (STKM-1), drilled by Exxon in 1986, penetrated the Meletta and Upper PBS reservoirs in the adjacent Schwarzbach South.

Potential for two “now proven and likely connected segments” of the central part of the Erfelden field are low case of 4.72 MMbbls, best estimate has risen from 3.8 mmbbls (pre-drill) to 7.24 MMbbls and high case of 10.20 MMbbls.

“These new figures are the result of the thicker and higher quality reservoirs being encountered and the inclusion of reserves in Schwarzbach South,” said Beacon.

The company has tied back SCHB-2(2.) to its wholly owned Schwarzbach production facility to continue well clean-up operations.

Commercial production is expected during the second half of November assisted by a rod pump, currently being installed, which can deliver up to a maximum 250 barrels of oil per day.

Following clean-up of the well and sustained production, the rod pump will be replaced during Q1 2024 with an electrical submersible pump which has a higher capacity.

Beacon said an initial production rate of more than 900bopd could be achieved with the ESP.

REVIEW

The company’s full-field review will look at how best to develop the central part of the Erfelden field to optimise the additional reserves shown by the SCHB-2(2.) well.

This could result in the original field development plan (FDP), aimed to develop Stockstadt Mitte with two producer wells and a water injector, being replaced by a development programme.

More wells over the central part of the Erfelden field would optimise the additional reserves demonstrated by the SCHB-2(2.) well and the de-risked Schwarzbach South segment.

Commissioning of an independent third-party CPR will be based on any seismic reprocessing and the revision to the FDP.

Chief executive officer Larry Bottomley added: “We remain fully focused on bringing SCHB-2(2.) into optimal production as quickly as possible.

“We are working hard across all aspects of the subsurface evaluation and we are undertaking a comprehensive review of the drilling and completion operations to incorporate these learnings into an updated field development plan to deliver this additional value.”