The Apollonia tight-gas chalk play is located in the Abu Gharadig Basin in the Western Desert of Egypt. This has long been ignored as a gas play in the overburden, while the Jurassic and Cretaceous oil fields deeper in the basin have been explored and developed. However, several structures in the Apollonia are known to contain potentially significant hydrocarbon volumes, although a potential Apollonia full-field development is challenging because of regulated gas prices in the Western Desert and low-productivity formations. This paper discusses the process of developing the first unconventional-gas opportunity in Egypt.
Introduction
Vertical appraisal wells show that low production rates and low estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) present a challenge for cost-effective development of tight gas in Apollonia.
