Max Petroleum Plc announced in a press release that it completed drilling the BCHW-3 appraisal well in the eastern portion of the Baichonas West field on Block E in Kazakhstan to a total vertical depth of 1,525 m (5,003 ft).

The well encountered oil and gas shows while drilling, but electric logs indicated insufficient hydrocarbons to be commercial. The well will be plugged and abandoned, according to the press release. The results will be analyzed and integrated into the geophysical evaluation of the field for placement of further appraisal wells currently scheduled to be drilled in Baichonas West during 2014. The Zhanros ZJ-20 rig will next move to drill the ESKN-2 well on Block E, the first appraisal well to be drilled at the Eskene North field.

In the Uytas field, the UTS-16 appraisal well successfully reached a total depth of 200 m (656 ft) with electric logs indicating 3 m (10 ft) of net oil pay in the Cretaceous Aptian reservoir over a 33-m (108-ft) interval ranging in depths from 111 m to 144 m (364 ft to 472 ft). Reservoir quality is excellent, the company said. Hydrocarbon shows were not encountered in the Albian section. The company plans to complete the well and place it on test production as soon as is practicable.

The Zhanros mobile truck-mounted rig is now moving to the UTS-15 appraisal well, which will be drilled to a total depth of approximately 200 m targeting Cretaceous reservoirs, according to the press release. After UTS-15, an additional six wells remain to be drilled as part of the initial appraisal program in the field.