Thread by @safridis

Indus-G Block:
Without making this into an “introduction” to ‘Offshore drilling 101’, let me do this in a very VERY simple way (one we normally take when explaining offshore drilling to “high school” interns who come for a ‘day visit’
1/n

So here goes… in the most simplest terms.. offshore drilling has some distinct phases before the decision on extraction can be made..
..
(1) initial formation reports (seismic etc)
(2) drilling process
(3) analysis/testing/assessment
..
2/n

If preliminary reports (usually seismic) of the bed are favourable & can justify expensive (50 to 100 million), exhausting & considerably accident-prone process of drilling, a drilling contractor & rig in engaged to drill to the “initial desired depth”
3/n

After the initial drill depth is reached, the well is usually capped, drilling contractors handover cuttings (usually cores) for analysis & tests (like UV testing etc) to detect hydrocarbon traces which allows the exploration company to conduct basic appraisal
4/n

If “POSITIVE” results are found at this stage the ONLY thing that can be said for CERTAIN is that hydrocarbons were present AT SOME TIME at this depth..THATS IT..a positive result would then lead to stem-testing to determine things like pressure & possible production capacity
5/n

Provided stem-testing is favourable, THEN sensors are lowered to create a detailed record of the strata & consider the viability of the formation.. THIS is the stage when the well is considered to be a success or a failure
6/n

If declared a success, then a full production test in inducted and some hydrocarbon is collected or flared and the well is capped again. The drilling phase is NOW complete & the drill is removed & preparations made to bring in extraction equipment
7/n

Kekra-1 has ONLY reached the desired drill depth (16th May 2019).. (i.e Twt: 3/n) .. the reports have been sent to both ENi & Exxon and the cores will now be analysed (Twt: 4/n) .. thats ALL that has happened… no discovery, no declaration, no positive/negative result YET..
8/n

Even now the reports could be negative, or positive but later the stem-test declare the well not ‘financially viable’, or show a different location to be more suitable or a few dozen other complications that would lead to the abandonment of ‘this particular well’
9/n

So.. all the morbid celebrations of failure & declarations of success can wait for a while.. you might still get the opportunity to celebrate the failure or success.. but a little patience would be nice.. for now
10/10