In 2019 the Company drilled 3 appraisal wells, 41, 42 into the Frasnian and 361 in to the Vorobyovski. There was no commercial inflow of hydrocarbons from any of the wells. In addition to the appraisal wells, two side-tracks were drilled. One Bashkirian side-track 52_2 was drilled but flow tests did not yield commercial production of crude oil. One Tournaisian NE water injection sidetrack 51_1 was drilled and completed, and injection started immediately after connection to surface systems.

The workover campaign in 2019 consisted of the recompletion of two idle gas condensate wells for further appraisal of the Permian Filippovski reservoir. After acid stimulation, both wells started to produce hydrocarbons free of formation water. Two idle oil wells were recompleted in 2019 with the workover rig to the Tournaisian NE oil reservoir. They are now producing with stable flow rates. After failure of the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) in well 45, a replacement pump was installed without loss of production rate after completion. It took approximately six months to replace the ESP, however the well now produces at the same rate as prior to the ESP failing.

The Company has decided to halt drilling in 2020 and operate with one work over rig. Low cost rig-less recompletions are also planned to contribute to the development of remaining reserves. The focus of the Company will now be to efficiently utilise the work over rig and reduce costs where possible at field site whilst working hard to add additional third-party gas streams through the gas treatment facility in the future. As per the Ryder Scott reserves report, further drilling is planned to take place on the Chinarevskoye field from late 2021, but this is dependent on Nostrum being able to both refinance its liabilities and maintain sufficient liquidity to fund such a programme. There is no guarantee that Nostrum will be able to achieve this, which can have a material impact on the Company’s ability to develop the remaining proven and probable reserves at Chinarevskoye. As at 31 December 2019, the Company had 46 production wells in operation on the Chinarevskoye field.