Bapco has completed the drilling of three gas wells as part of a major $100 million programme to boost natural gas production in Bahrain by an additional 500 million cubic feet per day.

The programme, which involves drilling a total of eight new deep gas wells in the Khuff gas reservoir, aims to meet Bahrain’s growing demand for natural gas for power generation and fuel gas for local industries.

In addition to the eight new wells, the programme also includes the workover of five previously-drilled wells at the same reservoir.

The Khuff gas drilling programme started in early 2009. The first well (No. 866) was drilled to a vertical depth of 10,550 feet into the Khuff reservoir.

The second well (No. 869) was the first directional gas well drilled in Bahrain to a measured depth of 12,325 feet into the Pre-Khuff formation.

The third well (No. 868) was recently drilled and completed to a vertical depth of 12,100 feet into the Pre-Khuff formation. A rig was recently mobilised to the fourth well (No. 870) where drilling operations have just begun.

The design of these new wells was enhanced over those drilled previously in that some were directionally drilled, maximising contact by exposing added reservoir over the same thickness which, in turn, increases production from the same wellbore.

Additionally, all wells are equipped with seven-inch diameter production tubes which should enhance production capacity of these wells compared to previous wells equipped with five-inch production tubing.

In the initial phase of the programme, Bapco plans to commission four wells along with their gas dehydration units before the summer of 2010. – TradeArabia News Service