– Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. (ZN) announces that during the current open hole wireline logging and subsequent reaming (cleaning the well bore) operations, Zion encountered free-flowing hydrocarbons while circulating drilling mud.
Zion's President and Chief Operations Officer, Dustin Guinn, provided further understanding of recent events stating, "We were cautiously optimistic given the amount of gas that accumulated in the well after returning from Shabbat after calling total depth (TD) at 5,026 meters (~16,500 feet). After making our first of three open hole logging runs, we decided to ream to bottom to clean the hole out in anticipation of our second logging run. After circulating the well, we experienced a continued and significant increase in gas followed by clear evidence of oil in our circulated mud from the bottom of the well. This is obviously very exciting news and as a result, we have decided to continue to drill up to another 70 meters (~230 feet). We expect that to take a couple of days, and barring any operational difficulties, we will continue with our open hole logs immediately thereafter."
Zion's CEO, Victor G. Carrillo, added, "I am ecstatic to see clear evidence of hydrocarbons (oil and gas) in the deeper portion of our Megiddo-Jezreel #1 well – a project that we have been working on for years. However, at this time we cannot comment on the commerciality or ability to successfully produce the well. We ask that our shareholders continue to pray for safe and successful drilling, logging, and testing operations, and for God's wisdom for management as we make key decisions in the following days and weeks. Please be patient. We will provide further updates after we have adequate time to properly evaluate the logs and finalize our well testing program following the recent events."
