The well, in which the junior owns a 34.5% stake, is currently producing one tenth of that figure, or 60 bopd, from a 4800 foot horizontal well bore.

Samson said the well had not been cased over the productive section, but was instead producing from a dolomitic limestone suitable for stimulation with acid.

“Following a significant level of engineering design effort, the proposed stimulation is a sophisticated five-stage treatment using a hydrochloric acid stimulation fluid which will be pumped to create the first fracture, this will be followed by a diverting agent which is designed to divert the subsequent acid stage to create a second and then subsequent fractures along the horizontal well bore,” Samson said.

“The diverting agent is temperature sensitive and after 24 hours breaks down to a fluid which is then flowed back.”

Post-stimulation, Samson said the engineering analysis suggested the well could produce between 80bopd and 600bopd depending on how many fractures are successfully created.

Fraccing is expected to occur in the first week of February.

The Harstad well is producing from the Bluell Formation, developed in this field using horizontal completions.