INPEX to drill in North Area of Japan’s Yabase oil field

TOKYO -- INPEX Corp. plans to drill a well for data gathering purposes into the low-permeability sand stratum in the North Area of Yabase oil field in Akita Prefecture, Japan. The area is a former production site with poor flow characteristics.

The drilling will be conducted in the first half of 2016 to determine the presence of oil and gas and obtain data to identify the optimum method to improve the productivity of the well through technological studies.

The North Area is about 7 km north-northwest of the center of the city of Akita.

Having suspended oil and gas production activities at the North Area over 40 years ago for economic reasons, INPEX recognizes the area’s oil and gas recovery ratio to be low, amounting to several percent at most, taking into account the overall volume of oil and gas within the low-permeability sand stratum. 

Based on data acquired from this well, INPEX plans to study and identify the optimal application of modern production enhancement techniques. Such technologies have evolved significantly in recent years, and are, therefore, expected to significantly improve the area’s productivity and recovery ratio.