Russia: JKX Begins Production at Koshekhablskoye Well-27

UK-based JKX Oil & Gas has begun production at a well previously delayed on its Russian Koshekhablskoye, Well 27.

In a statement issued on the company's website, JKX said that production had commenced on the well, which was now flowing to the gas processing facility on the field. Production testing is now being undertaken on the well with reservoir response to be monitored before the company is able to finally ramp up production from the field, as previously planned.

Last month, JKX said that it had been delayed on the field and in ramping up the production of the Koshekhablskoye field due to issues with Well 27. At that time, the company was required to sidetrack the well in order to bring the well on-stream. Despite the well testing at 13.1 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) on a 36/64" choke in 2009,  issues mechanically downhole of the well ahead of field start-up in March 2012 necessitated the well being sidetracked.

The well has now been worked over and re-completed. The rig used on Well 27, the Geostream KES-536 rig, will now be moved to Well 20 to begin a work-over and the recompletion of that well. 

The company said yesterday that the completion of the well was a milestone for production at the field, which it had earlier announced had an effect on its revenue for the first half of 2012.

"This is an important step towards achieving the planned capacity of the plant following the setbacks in putting our high performance wells into production in the second quarter of the year," Chief Executive of JKX Dr Paul Davies said.