Noble Energy provides flow test results from the Tamar natural gas discovery in the Matan license, offshore Israel. As previously reported, the Tamar #1 well, located in approximately 5,500 feet of water and drilled to a total depth of 16,076 feet, encountered more than 460 feet of net pay in three high-quality reservoirs. Testing procedures, which were performed over a limited 59-foot section of the lowest reservoir, yielded a flow rate of 30 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d) of natural gas. The flow rate was limited by testing equipment available on the rig. Performance modeling indicates the well can be ultimately completed to achieve a production rate of over 150 Mmcf/d.

The pre-drill gross mean resource potential for Tamar was originally estimated at 3.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Immediately following discovery, we estimated the gross resource potential to be at least equal to the pre-drill mean estimate. After analysis of all the post-drill and production test data, the estimated gross mean resource potential of Tamar has now been increased to 5 Tcf.

The Company and its partners have elected to keep the Atwood Hunter, a semi-submersible drilling rig, offshore Israel for two additional wells. Subsequent to operations at the Tamar #1 well, the drilling rig will proceed to the Dalit exploration prospect in the Michal license. Dalit has a pre-drill gross mean resource of about 700 billion cubic feet of natural gas with an approximate 40 percent chance of success. Located in 4,500 feet of water and 28 miles offshore, the well has a proposed total depth of about 12,500 feet. Immediately after concluding operations at Dalit, the rig will be relocated to Tamar where it will drill an appraisal well to further define the resources of the structure.

Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy's Chairman, President and CEO, said, "The test results from the Tamar well confirm our initial analysis that the discovered reservoirs are very high quality. This discovery is clearly of a size for commercial development. We hope to extend the success in Israel by testing Dalit, our second prospect which is already covered by 3D. Discussions with our various partners are currently ongoing with plans to potentially conduct new seismic over our additional leads on other licenses in the area. Each incremental piece of information gathered is critically important as we continue to learn more about the potential of the Tamar discovery and this highly under-explored region. The implications of this discovery to Israel, Noble Energy, and our partners cannot be overstated, and we all have committed significant resources to better understand its scale and scope."

Tags: Noble Energy