TAG Oil has completed and commissioned the Sidewinder production facility and a pipeline of 3.5 km long situated in the Taranaki Basin of New Zealand. This production facility was built after the early drilling of primary four Sidewinder exploration wells and has been planned to manage the production of up to 30 MMcf per day.
An overview of the Sidewinder Plant from the north
The rate of primary commissioning for the initial two Sidewinder wells, which is attached to the facility, is around 60 - 80 barrels of light oil per day and between 6 and 12 MMcf of gas per day. The company is anticipating the constant rates of ramp-up production, because the two Sidewinder wells remaining are united to the production facility during November 2011, and will continue the development drilling.
The CEO of TAG has stated that the company is excited to commission the Sidewinder facility and to complete this facility on budget and on time. Currently, TAG is selling gas and high-value light oil during the continuous production testing. The company is expecting to continue the step-out and development drilling for examining the major oil and gas prospective at the Sidewinder well.
TAG has announced the ongoing 60 km two dimensional seismic campaign at the Sidewinder in order to discover fresh Mt. Messenger potentials present in the authorized region. Subsequent to the ongoing drill program at the company’s Cheal field, an additional drilling will be started at the Sidewinder well that focuses on formerly discovered prospects and new prospects found during the seismic acquisition.
The location of this Sidewinder discovery is in Petroleum Exploration Permit 38748 of the company, New Zealand.