en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chile's state-owned oil company (ENAP) has submitted the "Coipo ZG-A and Trébol ZG-C Multi-Well Pad Hydrocarbon Extraction, Drilling, and Hydraulic Fracturing" project to the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), planning to invest $96 million to develop new natural gas reserves in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region.
The project, submitted through an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA), proposes to use drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies to extract hydrocarbons located in the Glauconitic formation at depths between 2,200 and 2,400 meters. The development plan includes drilling and fracturing up to 32 development wells across two multi-well pads, Coipo ZG-A and Trébol ZG-C, with a maximum of 16 wells per pad. As an alternative, ENAP has also evaluated the possibility of introducing horizontal wells, where Coipo ZG-A may consider up to two horizontal wells, while Trébol ZG-C would include two horizontal wells and up to eight vertical or directional wells.
The type of drilling will directly affect the number of hydraulic fracturing operations. For vertical wells, a maximum of 16 fracturing operations per pad is expected; under the horizontal well scenario, Coipo ZG-A may require 30 fracturing operations, while Trébol ZG-C would require 48. According to the DIA, the project's useful life is estimated at a minimum of 20 years, but may be extended depending on well productivity and the ultimately developed reserves.
The project is located in the municipality of Primavera, Tierra del Fuego Province, covering an area of 12.59 hectares. The construction phase is planned to begin in the first half of 2027, lasting approximately ten months. Drilling and production activities will then commence, with the operational period expected to continue until 2047.
The development plan includes the construction of drilling platforms, access roads, well pad areas, mud pits, flare pits, and collection centers, as well as the installation of equipment required for drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion operations. The construction phase will require approximately 100 workers, while the workforce during operations will fluctuate between 30 and 80 people, depending on drilling, fracturing, and completion activities. According to the submitted documentation, the company claims that the project will not generate significant environmental impacts requiring an Environmental Impact Study, arguing that atmospheric emissions, noise, vibrations, and waste will be kept within the limits established by current regulations.
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