Byron Energy has finished recompletion operations on its South Marsh Island Block 71 (SM 71) well located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico but stable oil and gas production rates still have not been established.

Byron started recompletion operations on the F2 well of SM 71 project from the B65 Sand to the B55 Sand in late September. The recompletion work was expected to take up to three weeks to finish and was estimated to cost $1.1 million.

On Wednesday, October 17 Byron said that the recompletion operations on its operated South Marsh Island 71 F2 well had finished. The entire B55 Sand section was perforated over a 22 foot measured depth interval which equates to 11 feet of true vertical sand thickness, the company said.

After perforating the B55 Sand, the well was flowed back to the production system and rates of 382 barrels of oil per day (99% oil cut) and subsequent shut in tubing pressures of 1152 psi were observed. At the end of the flowback, a small amount of sand was produced and subsequently washed out with coil tubing prior to sand control operations. Sand control measures were performed last week and since then the well has had difficulties unloading the completions fluids and stable oil and gas production rates have yet to be established.

“To date, approximately 300 of the 458 barrels of completion fluids have been recovered on flowback from the formation along with 220 barrels of oil. The well is currently flowing at an unstabilized rate of 150-200 Bopd and we expect the well to continue to unload and stabilize over the next couple of weeks,” Byron said.

The company also added that the liftboat and personnel had been demobilized to Fourchon, Louisiana and operations on the SM 71 F platform had returned to normal. Byron's production operators are supervising the continued unloading of the SM 71 F2 well.

Byron Energy Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Byron Energy Ltd. is the operator of block SM 71 and holds a 50% working interest. The remaining 50% is held by Otto Energy.