ReconAfrica preps open-hole horizontal flow test at Namibia’s Kavango West 1X

ReconAfrica returned the Jarvie-1 rig to work on the Kavango West 1X (KW1X) discovery well in Namibia as it prepares an open-hole horizontal flow test. Work has begun removing casing from the vertical wellbore, and a whipstock will be set at approximately 2,500 m before horizontal drilling starts.

All regulatory amendments have been submitted, and subject to approval and equipment arrival, drilling is set to begin in October and take about one month. The design calls for a horizontal wellbore of up to 1,000 m to intersect natural fractures across the Kavango structure. The well will be completed open hole, without casing or cement, with flow testing to follow immediately and before any acid wash. The test aims to determine deliverability, liquid yield from the gas stream and formation pressure response.

Flow test samples from the Huttenberg and Elandshoek formations indicated thermogenic gas with liquids potential and maturities ranging from late oil to early gas. The horizontal test is intended to establish sustained flow rates so additional samples can be used to determine liquid composition and yield.