22nd Dec 2009 12:00
PRESS RELEASE
22 December 2009
Matra Petroleum plc ("Matra" or the "Company")
Drilling Update Well-13
Drilling on the Company's appraisal well-13 in the Sokolovskoe field has so far reached a depth of 738m. Whilst drilling at that depth on 6th December a formation containing Nitrogen gas was encountered and a Nitrogen "kick" was encountered whilst making a drill pipe connection. At that point standard well control procedures were invoked to control the well by closing the blow-out preventers and circulating mud to control the Nitrogen inflow.
Operations are continuing in order to fully stabilise the well before drilling deeper. This involves mixing and pumping new mud until the mud losses to the formation are stemmed and the Nitrogen inflow completely stopped.
The well is in a safe condition and there have been no safety incidents at the wellsite.
Matra's Managing Director, Peter Hind said:
"We have encountered what appears to be a relatively small pocket of Nitrogen in a small highly permeable zone. Controlling such a nitrogen pocket whilst having mud losses is inevitably a slow process but the losses have started to reduce and partial circulation restored. Whilst it is not possible to estimate the delay to the well we hope to resume normal drilling operations as soon as is practicable and we will report further as timing becomes clearer."
For further Information, please contact:
|
Matra Petroleum |
www.matrapetroleum.com |
|
Peter Hind, Managing Director |
+44 (0) 7990 807855 |
|
Pelham PR |
|
|
James Henderson Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Nick Lambert RFC Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser) |
+44 20 7337 1500 +44 20 7861 3232 |
|
Steve Allen |
+61 8 9480 2500 |
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