OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt, has announced the discovery and successful testing of gas and condensate in its Fella-1 exploration well within the Jenein Sud exploration block in southern Tunisia.

The gas discovery in the recently granted Nawara Production Concession at Jenein Sud is the fifth successive one in the area in the last four years and underpins the significant potential of the block, said a top company official.

"The exploration well reached a total depth of 4,635 m and encountered a total of 31 m net gas and condensate pay in several Acacus Formation reservoirs at depths ranging from 3,720 to 3,980 m," stated Helmut Langanger, OMV Executive Board member responsible for exploration and production.

Both the reservoir thickness and condensate yield are equal to the best seen in OMV’s previous wells in the area and exceeded pre-drill expectations.

Further exploration and appraisal activities in the concession are currently ongoing with drilling and testing of additional wells to increase the resource base and to pave the way for a field development in the coming years, he said.

"This promising series of discoveries in our Jenein Sud exploration block supports our efforts to grow in Tunisia, an important country in our North African core region," he stated.

A single 13 meter (gross thickness) zone was tested at the base of the Acacus Formation, resulting in a flow of 16 mn cf/d (2,700 boe/d) of gas and 400 bbl/d of condensate, he added.-TradeArabia News Service