Santo Domingo. – The president of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (Refidomsa) highlighted the call for bids issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines for the allocation of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation blocks in the four sedimentary basins that have been rigorously investigated by company technicians over the past three years.
Dr. Leonardo Aguilera, Chairman of the Board of Directors, emphasized that the work carried out by Refidomsa has achieved unprecedented progress in the research and evaluation of hydrocarbon resources in the country.
He noted that the release last year of three reports on studies conducted by Refidomsa's Research Unit emphasized their relevance "as a great opportunity for national and foreign companies to use this information for the exploration and exploitation of the identified resources."
"This represents a step forward and an opportunity for those interested in this sector, and it strengthens Refidomsa's position as the local company with the most recent experience in these activities. At the same time, it reinforces the vision that President Luis Abinader had when he outlined the guidelines for the creation of the Research Unit at Refidomsa in 2022," said Dr. Aguilera.
Under Aguilera's guidance, a team of national and international researchers has conducted the most comprehensive studies of sedimentary basins with potential for oil and gas generation in the country in more than two decades.
Unlike previous approaches that only highlighted the presence of hydrocarbons, Refidomsa has adopted a rigorous technical methodology based on the identification, characterization, and comprehensive evaluation of geoscientific information, reservoir engineering, existing wells, and their surroundings.
According to leading experts, modern tools have been implemented to further deepen the research, such as fluid and rock sampling, gas measurement, georeferencing, and basin and well modeling, enabling a precise assessment that considers critical factors such as crude oil quality, reservoir pressure, environmental impact, and economic viability.
"We have achieved an unprecedented leap forward in the country's hydrocarbon industry, identifying areas with high potential and presenting the country with preliminary estimates of the volume of oil and gas in place and recoverable" in the country's four basins, he explained.
He emphasized that the technical quantification indicates that reserves amount to approximately 500 million barrels of original oil and approximately 80 million barrels of recoverable reserves, according to well-founded research.
Refidomsa's chief executive indicated that, in the specific case of the Azua wells, preliminary studies conducted in collaboration with experts from the University of Antioquia in Colombia are aimed at accurately determining production rates, the physical and chemical properties of the crude oil, and the operational strategies required to restore the productivity of these assets.
This process is carried out in accordance with international standards, best practices in the hydrocarbon industry, and strict compliance with tax and environmental regulations.
For their part, Refidomsa technicians report that they have already developed the strategic projects necessary to advance the first phase of recovery and technical testing at the Maleno and Higüerito locations, with a clearly defined roadmap for implementation.
"It's important to emphasize that our technicians work with concrete data and scientific methodologies to evaluate and sustainably develop the country's energy resources," Dr. Aguilera emphasized.
Refidomsa technicians have made the greatest progress in the Azua, Enriquillo, San Juan, and Eastern Cibao basins.
