WASCO revived Balsam-3 well, boosting production by 5 mmscf/d and adding 4 bcf reserves, advancing Egypt’s low-cost gas strategy.
El Wastani Petroleum Company (WASCO) has successfully brought back into production the Balsam-3 well, which had previously been earmarked for permanent abandonment. The revived well is now delivering an estimated 5 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscf/d), adding approximately 4 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas to the company’s overall reserves.
The Balsam-3 well originally produced from the ‘Qawasim’ layer, which had since been depleted. Given the limited information available about the well’s potential and the absence of wireline logs for the Kafr El Sheikh formation, production recovery posed considerable technical challenges. Nonetheless, WASCO’s team undertook a comprehensive study of the formation’s potential, using multiple technical indicators.
The assessment process involved analyzing gas ratios recorded during drilling operations, conducting advanced seismic interpretation, and fine-tuning as well as verifying the accuracy of the measurement instruments. This meticulous approach enabled the team to identify a promising gas-bearing zone within the shallow Pliocene-aged Kafr El Sheikh formation. This discovery proved to be a breakthrough, enabling production restoration from a layer that had previously been overlooked.
The success of the Balsam-3 operation has inspired further exploration of similar opportunities within the Kafr El Sheikh formation. Such efforts are expected to deliver near-term production gains at relatively low operational costs, offering high economic returns. The initiative is fully aligned with the first pillar of Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ strategy — maximizing domestic production and exploiting mature fields through cost-effective, high-impact technologies.
According to a Ministry statement, this achievement also represents WASCO’s second major operational success within the same month. Earlier, the company successfully drilled the Begonia-2 appraisal well, located onshore in the Nile Delta region. Begonia-2 achieved a daily production rate of around 7 mmscf/d of gas, along with approximately 200 barrels of condensate.
WASCO, a joint venture between Dana Gas and the Egyptian government, has built a strong reputation in petroleum exploration and production, with a focus on boosting Egypt’s gas output and expanding reserves.
The Kafr El Sheikh Formation, dating back to the Pliocene epoch, consists largely of thick clastic sedimentary layers — about 98% of which are shale — deposited by the Nile Delta. Gas-bearing sand reservoirs within this formation are characterized by lower density and velocity compared to the surrounding shale, making them distinct and promising exploration targets.
By combining deep technical expertise with innovative exploration techniques, WASCO has turned what was once considered a depleted and abandoned asset into a productive source of energy, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to Egypt’s energy security.
