Kibbutz Ma’anit Agreement Paves Way for Zion’s M-J#3 Well

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According to company CEO Richard Rinberg, Zion plans to start drilling the Ma’anit-Joseph #3 (MJ#3) in August. Zion signed an agreement with the land owner, Kibbutz Ma’anit, for access to the well site and continues the permitting process with various Israeli state agencies.

Rinberg wrote Zion share holders in his May 28 update:

“Further to our ongoing exploration work on the Ma’anit geological structure, we are moving forward with the required permitting and planning for the M-J #3 well (targeted for the ‘deep’ Permian geologic structure). (Deut. 33:13-16)
We are well underway in the process of assembling the various product and service suppliers needed to drill this new well. As reported last time, we instituted a bidding and selection process designed to ensure that we use the best available resources, offering Zion the most favorable overall value. Based on early vendor indications, we anticipate a strong response to our RFQs (Request For Quotes) and have already begun receiving price quotes. All price quotes are expected by month-end and the final vendor selection will follow shortly thereafter.
Permitting for the new well continues to proceed favorably with the recent achievement of a very significant milestone: agreement with Kibbutz Ma’anit granting us access to Kibbutz land where we desire to drill the MJ-3 well.
In Israel, ‘permitting a well’ is a very lengthy and complicated process, as permits are required from various authorities, including the: Water, Fire, Health, Military, District Planning Commission, Environmental Protection, Israel Land, National Infrastructure, Civil Aviation and National Transport Authorities… and of course, the owner of the land.
With the Kibbutz agreement now secured, we are fine-tuning the well site layout and beginning preliminary plans for construction of the site.
The layout and construction of the well site is a project in of itself, as it involves the careful placement of storage containers, offices and living quarters, equipment and liquid storage facilities, power units, and piping all efficiently arranged around the drilling rig and large liquid containment (“mud”) pits while allowing adequate space for the safe movement of personnel and heavy equipment.
As the M-J #3 well site is near residential and commercial areas, we are working diligently with local and governmental groups, to ensure the site will meet (or in some cases exceed) all applicable environmental and safety requirements.
Actual well site construction can begin once we have received all necessary permits. Depending on weather and equipment availability, we anticipate site construction to be completed within one month after being started. Given the progress we are making in both planning and permitting for the M-J #3 well, we remain optimistic that drilling will begin this summer.”

Plans for the new Ma’anit-Joseph #3 well were initiated in April after production testing determined that commercial quantities of gas and oil were not present in Zion’s nearby Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2 well.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Since the holidays are quickly approaching I thought I’d include a short article on Christmas trees. Normally, you’d think Christmas trees and Israel wouldn’t go together. But there’s a Christmas tree already up at Zion Oil’s Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2 site. It’s not green (it’s kind of a dirty gray) and it doesn’t have needles, but there are a good many valves.

The Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2 Christmas tree is installed on the wellhead. I’ll leave it to Wikipedia to explain why it’s there and what it does.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree_(oil_well)

Note that a tree and wellhead are separate pieces of equipment not to be mistaken as the same piece. For clarity, a wellhead must be present in order to utilize a Christmas Tree and a wellhead is used WITHOUT a Christmas Tree during drilling operations, and also for riser tie-back situations which would then have a tree included at riser top. Producing surface wells that require pumps (pump jacks, nodding donkeys, etc.) frequently do not utilize any tree due to NO pressure containment requirement.

Tree complexity has increased over the last few decades. They are frequently manufactured from blocks of steel containing multiple valves rather than made from multiple flanged valves.

The primary function of a tree is to control the flow into or out of the well, usually oil or gas. A tree often provides numerous additional functions including chemical injection points, well intervention means, pressure relief means (eg annulus vent), tree and well monitoring points (such as pressure, temperature, corrosion, erosion, sand detection, flow rate, flow composition, valve and choke position feedback, connection points for devices such as down hole pressure and temperature transducer (DHPT), etc.

When the operator, well, and facilities are ready to produce and receive oil or gas, valves are opened and the release of the formation fluids is allowed to flow into and through a pipeline. The pipeline then leads to a processing facility, storage depot and or other pipeline eventually leading to a refinery or distribution center (for gas).

A tree may also be used to control the injection of gas or water injection application on a producing or non-producing well in order to sustain economic “production” volumes of oil from other well(s) in the area (field).

On producing wells, injection of chemicals or alcohols or oil distillates to prevent and or solve production problems (such as blockages) may be used.

A typical sophisticated surface tree will have at least four or five valves, normally arranged in a crucifix type pattern (hence the endurance of the term “Christmas tree”). The two lower valves are called the master valves (upper and lower respectively) because they lie in the flow path, which well fluids must take to get to surface. The lower master valve will normally be manually operated, while the upper master valve is often hydraulically actuated, allowing it to be a means of well control while an actuated wing valve is normally the primary well remotely (from control room or control panel) controlled valve. Hydraulic tree wing valves are usually built to be fail safe closed, meaning they require active hydraulic pressure to stay open.

If you’re lucky enough to visit Zion’s well site one day, you’ll know why that complicated combination of valves and gauges is there and what it’s called – a Christmas tree!

Zion Oil Begins ‘Completion Testing’ of Ma’anit Rehoboth #2

According to Zion CEO Richard Rinberg in last week’s ‘Zion Oil & Gas Newsletter’: “In the light of the uncertainty regarding the depth of the Permian geological layer at our well site and knowing that we have found seven zones that warrant completion testing, we decided that the prudent course, for the present, was to stop drilling on this well and (i) test the seven zones mentioned, as well as (ii) carry out further analysis on the geology, using the drilling and logging data obtained in the last weeks.”

With as many questions as I receive about Zion’s progress, there seems to be a general assumption that producing oil and gas is simply a matter of drilling a hole and letting the hydrocarbons bubble out … that’s what I thought. I’ve learned it’s more involved that that. With Zion Oil in the ‘completion testing’ phase of the Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2 well, now might be a good time to explain what that is and how a ‘hole in the ground’ becomes a producing well.

Most of text below comes from the United States Department of Labor website.

Once the design well depth is reached, the formation must be tested and evaluated to determine whether the well will be completed for production, or plugged and abandoned. To complete the well production, casing is installed and cemented and the drilling rig is dismantled and moved to the next site. A service rig is brought in to perforate the production casing and run production tubing. If no further pre-production servicing is needed, the christmas tree is installed and production begins.

Well completion activities include:

Conducting Drill Stem Test: To determine the potential of a producing formation, the operator may order a drill stem test (DST). The DST crew makes up the test tool on the bottom of the drill stem, then lowers it to the bottom of the hole. Weight is applied to the tool to expand a hard rubber sealer called a packer. Opening the tool ports allows the formation pressure to be tested. This process enables workers to determine whether the well can be produced.

Setting Production Casing: Production casing is the final casing in a well. It can be set from the bottom to the top. Sometimes a production liner is installed. This casing is set the same as other casings, then cemented in place.

Installing Production Tubing: A well is usually produced through tubing inserted down the production casing. Oil and gas is produced more effectively through this smaller-diameter tubing than through the large-diameter production casing. Joints of tubing are joined together with couplings to make up a tubing string. Tubing is run into the well much the same as casing, but tubing is smaller in diameter and is removable.

Starting Production Flow: Production flow is started by washing in the well and setting the packer. Washing in means to pump in water or brine to flush out the drilling fluid. Usually this is enough to start the well flowing. If not, then the well may need to be unloaded. This means to swab the well to remove some of the brine. If this does not work the flow might be started by pumping high-pressure gas into the well before setting the packer.

If the well does not flow on its own, well stimulation or artificial lift may need to be considered.

Beam Pumping Units: If the well doesn’t produce adequately, a beam pumping unit may be installed. There are four basic types of beam pumping units. Three involve a walking beam, which seesaws to provide the up and down reciprocating motion to power the pump. The fourth reciprocates by winding a cable on and off a rotating drum. The job of all four types is to change the circular motion of an engine to the reciprocating motion of the pump.

The explanation above depicts, very simply,  the completion program for most wells. Much more activity and many processes such as acidising, fracturing and nitrogen circulation may take place before the well is actually ready for production. My goal was to let you know the kind of activities that must take place before a ‘hole in the ground’ becomes a well.

When we built our house I was so excited when the framing and the roof were complete; when the contractors installed the siding and I saw the house from the outside I thought, “Wow, this baby is just about finished!” I had no idea how much time and work was involved in building the inside of the house.

I’m learning that ‘building’ an oil well is similar. There’s a lot more to it than the hole. Zion Oil is in the middle of ‘down-rigging’ now; they’re disassembling the drilling rig at the Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2 so they can move it to the Elijah #3. While they work on ‘building the inside of the house’ at the Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2, they’ll begin work on the ‘outside of the house’ at the Elijah #2 site. That’s goods news!

Zion Oil & Gas Public Offering Update

“With faith there are no questions.
Without faith, there are no answers.”
 
Dear Zion Shareholder and/or Friend of Zion
 
We are extending the initial 90 day period for our public offering of $10 units. The extension gives us an additional 60 days (until October 11th, 2008) to sell the minimum subscriptions required of 325,000 units at $10 each (= $3,250,000). If we don’t reach the minimum by October 11th, then we will have to close our offering and return to every subscriber the subscription amounts that we will then have in the escrow account.
 
We have almost everything we need to drill our next two wells in Israel, but we need money to pay for importing the drilling rig from Turkey and the daily drilling costs. Since we began planning our next well, the US dollar has fallen 25% in value against international currencies, while associated oil industry costs have risen by 50% to 100%.
 
For example, when we drilled our first well, the Ma’anit #1, the contractor’s daily rate was $14,000.  For our next planned well, the Ma’anit-Rehoboth #2, the daily rate will be $28,500 per day (and that is considered to be a very good price in a market that can charge up to $40,000 for a similar drilling rig).
 
The current economic downturn has hurt many and prevented us from reaching the minimum in the initial 90 days of our public offering, but we sincerely believe that the Joseph Project will be a financial blessing to those who have the vision and faith to support it. (Ruth 2:12)
 
If you do not have money to invest then I pray that G-d will send it to you. But if you do have the funds, perhaps this is the intended use for them. (Esther 4:14)
 
Please consider what number of $10 units you want to take. The minimum is 100 units but we hope you will want to take more. 500 units at $10 each is $5,000 and, if we are successful, this may be the best money you ever invested… and you will be blessed… (Genesis 12:1-3)
 
Please give this message your serious consideration; Zion depends on your support and without your prayers and financial support, we may not be able complete our work in Israel. (Numbers 10:32)
  
Shalom
 John Brown
(Hosea 12:10)
  
NOTICE:
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy Units of Zion’s securities, which may only be by prospectus, nor shall there be any sale of the Units in any state or country in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration, qualification or exemption under the securities laws of any such state or country.
 
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: Statements in this communication that are not historical fact, including statements regarding the closing of the offering, the timing and results thereof, Zion’s planned operations, potential results thereof and potential effects of those results on the market for Zion’s securities and returns on investments in those securities, are forward-looking statements as defined in the “Safe Harbor” provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that are subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are described in Zion’s Prospectus and its periodic reports filed with the SEC and are beyond Zion’s control. These risks could cause Zion’s actual performance to differ materially from the results predicted by these forward-looking statements. Zion can give no assurance that the expectations reflected in these statements will prove to be correct and assumes no responsibility to update these statements.
 
Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Zion Oil & Gas and its offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, Zion Oil & Gas or its underwriter will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling toll free 1-888-TX1-ZION (1-888-891-9466). Direct links to the SEC location, or to the documents in PDF, may be found on the home page of Zion Oil & Gas. Inc., at www.zionoil.com. 
 
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