Tethys finds gas at AKK19 exploration well in Kazakhstan

Tethys Petroleum has discovered gas at Well AKK19, the third shallow gas exploration well of the company’s 2014 programme in Kazakhstan.

Drilled on the Akkulka property to a depth of 800m, AKK19 encountered a pay zone twice as thick as AKK15 to the north-west.

The AKK15 well tested at a rate of about 7 million cubic feet of gas a day, or the equivalent of 1,167 barrels oil. Tethys expects the AKK19 well to test at a significantly higher rate.

Tethys Petroleum will now case and prepare the AKK19 well for production testing in conjunction with the AKK17 and AKK18 wells, which is scheduled for later this year.

The current shallow gas programme includes the drilling of around 10 new exploration wells, as well as work-overs and tie-ins. It is expecting a threefold increase in gas production by early 2015.

Commenting the success of well AKK19, Tethys Petroleum chief operating officer Graham Wall said that this is a very good result and log indications would suggest the company could test the well significantly in excess of the flow achieved from the AKK15 well.

"We now have three successes from the first three wells in this year’s shallow gas programme and continues to validate our geological model with further wells planned on similar targets in the vicinity," Wall added.

Oil and gas exploration and production company Tethys Petroleum is currently focused on Central Asia and the Caspian Region with projects in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Georgia.