Addax Petroleum Announces Record Well Test in Taq Taq Appraisal Program

Addax Petroleum Corporation announced flow test results for the TT-10 well, the seventh Cretaceous appraisal and development well drilled on the Taq Taq field by Taq Taq Operating Company, the joint venture company formed by Genel Enerji and Addax Petroleum to carry out the petroleum operations in the Taq Taq license area.

Commenting, Jean Claude Gandur, President and Chief Executive Officer of Addax Petroleum said: “We are extremely pleased to have achieved record aggregate test rates from the most recent Cretaceous appraisal well at Taq Taq. Addax Petroleum continues to lead the development of this emerging oil region through our highly successful appraisal program. The results from the appraisal campaign have been incorporated into a full field development plan which was recently submitted to the Kurdistan Regional Government for their review and approval.”

Three Cretaceous reservoirs were tested separately and flowed at an aggregate rate of 44,240 bbl/d of light oil, measured gravity of 48° API with low gas oil ratio. Two intervals in each of the Shiranish and Kometan reservoirs were completed and tested independently due to the highly varying character of each, as identified through the logs. The independent testing allowed for further characterization of the flow behavior of these intervals in addition to assessing the most likely completion strategy for future development wells.

The Shiranish intervals tested were a 136 meter completion in the upper section which flowed at a rate of 17,700 bbl/d and an 85 meter completion in the lower section which flowed at a rate of 13,780 bbl/d. The Kometan intervals tested were a 67 meter completion in the upper section which flowed at a rate of 19,380 bbl/d and a 49 meter completion in the lower section which flowed at a rate of 14,800 bbl/d. The Qamchuqa interval tested was a 136 meter completion which flowed at a rate of 11,080 bbl/d. Oil flow rates from the above intervals were restricted by a two-inch choke size. The aggregate rate of 44,240 bbl/d was compiled using the Lower Shiranish, Upper Kometan and Qamchuqa intervals as these were deemed by the Corporation to be more representative of previously announced test results. Evaluation of these flow test results is ongoing.

The TT-10 well was drilled into the crest of the main Cretaceous formations in the Taq Taq field, as identified on 3D seismic, where it encountered a gross oil column of 530 metres. The TT-10 well was spudded by the Kurdistan-1 rig in August and completed drilling in late December at a total depth of 2,247 meters. Testing of the TT-10 well was delayed such that the well could be hooked up to the early production system allowing for test oil to be monetised at a later date. Interpretation of data acquired from the TT-10 well, including wireline logging and core samples, confirmed the presence of a significant and extensive fracture system in the tested formations as observed in the previous Cretaceous appraisal wells. In addition, the log analysis performed indicates that matrix porosity increases towards the center of the field.

The TT-10 well is the final well in the drilling and seismic appraisal program by Addax Petroleum and Genel. The results of the drilling and seismic appraisal program were integrated into a full field development plan for Taq Taq, which Addax Petroleum submitted to the Kurdistan Regional Government for approval earlier this month. Addax Petroleum expects to formally present the Taq Taq development plan to the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil in April 2009. An early production system with capacity of 30 Mbbl/d has already been completed with plans to expand capacity up to 60 Mbbl/d in mid 2009. The Taq Taq Operating Company is currently selling crude oil from the Taq Taq field on an intermittent basis into the local market where it is being trucked to local refineries according to regional demand.

The Kurdistan-1 drilling rig was moved within the Taq Taq license area and spudded the Kewa Chirmila exploration prospect in February 2009. The Kewa Chirmila well is expected to take approximately 120 more days to drill with potential testing of a discovery to follow.