Poland: BNK Charts Major Gas Shows at Gapowo Well

California-based BNK Petroleum has said that it is seeking permission to drill a horizontal well at its Gapowo B-1 well site in Poland following greater than expected gas shows.

The company said in a statement that drilling and coring on the Gapowo B-1 well, which was drilled to a depth of 4,300 metres, showed "substantially higher gas readings" than other wells the company has previously drilled on its Saponis concessions.

Over pressured shales were noted in both the Lower Silurian and Ordovician sections of the target area with the average total gas readings from the well over 20 times higher than those seen in the one of the company's most successful wells, the Lebork S-1 well.

These positive results were recorded even with the presence of significantly higher-weight drilling muds at the well and the related slower rates of penetration. Additionally, the well also outperformed the Lebork S-1 well when shale intervals were measured on the Gapowo-1 well. On the Lebork S-1 well, these Lower Silurian prospective intervals are only expected to be a few metres thick. On the Gapowo-1 well, however,  prospective shale intervals in the Lower Silurian are estimated to be between 40 to 75 gross metres thick, out of 120 meters of Lower Silurian that had significant gas shows. 

BNK has now suspended the Gapowo B-1 well, located in the Bytow Concession, pending approval of its application to re-enter and horizontally drill the well. The drilling rig used on the Gapowo B-1 well is now being moved to the site of Miszewo T-1 well to begin operations there in about two weeks.

The Gapowo B-1 well is 100 per cent owned and operated by BNK's Polish subsidiary Indiana Investments.