Zion Oil & Gas Inc (ZNOG)

[microcaps1]

re 3d, On ZN's website under frequently asked questions zn says this:

"Larger oil and gas exploration companies may choose to conduct extensive analytical pre-drilling testing such as 3-D seismic imaging, the drilling of an expendable “pilot” well or “stratigraphic test” to collect data (logs, cores, fluid samples, pressure data) to determine if drilling a well capable of producing oil or gas (full completion with casing and well testing) is justified. The use of pilot or stratigraphic tests is often used in areas where there is little or no offset well data, like Israel, where our exploration license area is located.

While 3-D seismic imaging data can be more useful than 2-D data in identifying potential prospects, its acquisition, and processing costs can potentially be multiples greater than that for 2-D data.

In addition to using 2-D seismic technology prior to drilling, we have historically also utilized gravity and magnetic data, built cross-section maps from offset wells and utilized geophysical analysis from similar geologic targets. We believe that the additional months, delays and costs associated with more extensive pre-drilling testing typically undertaken by larger oil and gas exploration companies is not necessarily justified when drilling vertical or near-vertical exploration wells (as we have historically been doing).

Nonetheless, the absence of more extensive pre-drilling testing may potentially increase the risk of drilling a non-producing well, which would, in turn, result in increased costs and expenses. Additionally, we are typically engaged in drilling deep onshore wildcat wells in Israel where only approximately 500 total wells have ever been drilled, the vast majority of which are relatively shallow. As such, exploration risks are inherently very substantial."

"(From 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2017)"