Horn Petroleum Corp.’s Shabeel well in Puntland, Somalia, encountered a 355-m (1,164-ft) section of Upper Cretaceous sands and shales of the Tisje and Jesomma formations at a depth of approximately 1,660 m (5,446 ft). The sands in this interval exhibited both oil and gas shows, and petrophysical analysis of downhole electrical logs indicates a potential pay zone of between 12 m (39 ft) and 20 m (65 ft).

The Shabeel well is currently at a depth of 2,703 m (8,868 ft) and just completed the setting of the 9 5/8-in casing. The well drilled through primarily tight limestones and shales of Lower Tertiary to Upper Cretaceous age.

Attempts to sample formation fluids using a wireline formation tester were not successful and thus the zone will require cased hole testing to confirm whether they are oil bearing.

At a depth of 2,015 m (6,610 ft) a thick section of tight limestones and shales was encountered extending to the present depth of 2,703 m (8,868 ft), which is believed to correspond to the Upper Cretaceous Gumburo Formation.

The forward plan on the well will be to drill ahead to the originally planned depth of 3,800 m (12,467 ft) to evaluate the primary and secondary reservoir targets in the Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic intervals equivalent to the main productive section seen in the analogous fields in Yemen.

Horn, operates the well, with 60% working interest; Range Resources, 20%; and Red Emperor, 20%.