Max Petroleum Plc announced successful drilling results with appraisal wells in the Eskene North and Uytas fields. The ESKN-2 appraisal well in the Eskene North field has reached a depth of 1,523 meters with electric logs indicating 29 meters of net pay over a 173 meter gross interval in the Triassic Formation at measured depths between 1,222 and 1,395 meters. Reservoir quality is fair with porosities ranging from 15% to 20%.

The company is setting production casing in the well and will begin testing ESKN-2 as soon as practicable. In the Uytas field, the UTS-12 appraisal well successfully reached a total depth of 450 meters, with electric logs indicating seven meters of net oil pay in Cretaceous and Jurassic reservoirs, including two meters of net oil pay over a four meter interval ranging in depths from 119 to 123 meters in the Cretaceous Aptian formation, two meters of net oil pay ranging in depths from 245 to 247 meters in the Lower Cretaceous formation and three meters of net oil pay over a seven meter interval ranging in depths from 311 to 318 meters in the Jurassic section. Reservoir quality is excellent.

Hydrocarbon shows were not encountered in the shallow Albian section. The company plans to complete the well and place it on test production as soon as practicable. The company will now drill the UTS-9 well targeting Jurassic reservoirs with a total vertical depth of approximately 550 meters.

After UTS-9, an additional five wells remain to be drilled as part of the initial appraisal programme in the Uytas field. After completion of ESKN-2, the company will release the Zhanros ZJ-20 rig with the expectation to bring another shallow drilling rig into operation in early 2014 after the company has finished interpreting its newly acquired 3D seismic survey over East Kyzylzhar I and analyzing recent drilling results at Eskene North and Baichonas West.