DNO Increases Stake in Kurdistan’s Baeshiqa License; Prepares to Step Up Operations
Oslo, 11 February 2021 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced the acquisition of ExxonMobil’s 32 percent interest in the Baeshiqa license in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, doubling DNO’s operated stake to 64 percent (80 percent paying interest), pending government approval. The Company plans to continue an exploration and appraisal program on the license while fast tracking early production from existing wells in 2021.
DNO has already demonstrated proof of concept of producing through temporary test facilities, having delivered 15,000 barrels of 40o API oil and 22o API oil for export from the Baeshiqa-2 and Zartik-1 wells, respectively.
In November 2019 DNO issued a notice of discovery on the Baeshiqa license after flowing hydrocarbons from several Jurassic and Triassic zones to surface in the 3,204 meters (2,549 meters TVDSS) Baeshiqa-2 exploration well. Following acid stimulation, the zone flowed variable rates of light oil and sour gas. Two zones flowed naturally at rates averaging over 3,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) of light gravity oil each and another averaged over 1,000 bopd also of light gravity oil. Subsequent analyses on surface samples collected during testing confirm that the Triassic reservoirs contain saturated oil with a gas cap.
An exploration well was completed in 2020 on a second structure (Zartik) some 15 kilometers southeast of the Baeshiqa-2 discovery well. The 3,021 meters (2,322 meters TVDSS) well tested hydrocarbons to surface from several Jurassic zones, with the uppermost zone flowing naturally at rates averaging over 2,000 bopd of medium gravity oil.
The Company currently estimates gross license contingent recoverable resources from three of the tested zones in the two wells ranging from 12 million barrels of oil (mmbbls) (1C) to 156 mmbbls (3C), with a 2C volume of 43 mmbbls.
"By increasing our stake in the Baeshiqa license now, we demonstrate our belief in its ultimate potential,” said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, DNO's Executive Chairman. “Following the stabilization of oil prices and export payments in Kurdistan, DNO is stepping up spending on new opportunities,” he added.
DNO acquired its first 32 percent interest from ExxonMobil and assumed operatorship of the Baeshiqa license in 2018.
The 324 square kilometer license is situated 60 kilometers west of Erbil and 20 kilometers east of Mosul. The license contains two large structures, Baeshiqa and Zartik, which have multiple independent stacked target reservoir systems, including in the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic. The remaining partners in the license include TEC with a 20 percent paying (16 percent net) interest and the Kurdistan Regional Government with a 20 percent carried interest.
In addition to the Baeshiqa license, DNO also operates the Tawke license containing the Tawke and Peshkabir fields in Kurdistan. Gross operated production from the Tawke license averaged 110,300 bopd in 2020.
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DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator focused on the Middle East and the North Sea. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland and Yemen.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
