Zion Oil & Gas Inc (ZNOG)

[microcaps1]

from p.1 of the 10k

"During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company testing protocol was concluded at the Megiddo Jezreel #1 (“MJ #1”) well. The test results confirmed that the MJ #1 well does not contain hydrocarbons in commercial quantities in the zones tested.

...While the well was not commercially viable,"

...focused 3D seismic imaging shoot of approximately 50 square kilometers surrounding the MJ#1 well"

[this has now been increased to 60 sq km as i just noted from p.6 of the schedule 14a]

"...Our branch office’s address in Israel is 9 Halamish Street, North Industrial Park, Caesarea 3088900"

from p.5 of 10k:

As of December 31, 2018, we had 25 employees and contractors of whom all but four are on a full-time basis. Included in this number are certain contractors who provide services to Zion on an ongoing basis. Of the 25 total headcount, 16 work out of our Dallas office and 9 work out of the Caesarea, Israel office. None of our current employees or contractors are subject to any collective bargaining agreements, and there have been no strikes.

We regularly utilize independent consultants and contractors to perform various professional services, particularly for services connected to drilling operations, such as specialized drilling, health and safety, engineering, logging, cementing and well-testing.

so thats nine employees and contractors who regularly work out of the israel office -not one or two




from p.4 of 10k:

The MJ#1 well provided Zion with information which Zion believes is important for potential future exploration efforts within its license area. As with many frontier wildcat wells, the MJ#1 also left several questions unanswered.

While not meant to be an exhaustive list, a summary of what Zion believes to be key information learned in the MJ#1 well is as follows:

1. The MJ#1 encountered much higher subsurface temperatures at a depth shallower than expected before drilling the well. In our opinion, this is significant because reaching a minimum temperature threshold is necessary for the generation of hydrocarbons from an organic-rich source rock.
2. The known organic rich (potentially hydrocarbon bearing) Senonian age source rocks that are typically present in this part of Israel were not encountered as expected. Zion expected these source rocks to be encountered at approximately 1,000 meters in the MJ#1 well.

3. MJ#1 had natural fractures, permeability (the ability of fluid to move through the rock) and porosity (pore space in rock) that allowed the sustained flow of formation fluid in the shallower Jurassic and lower Cretaceous age formations between approximately 1,200 and 1,800 meters. While no hydrocarbons were encountered [ in these shallower zones], Zion believes this fact is nonetheless significant because it provides important information about possible reservoir pressures and the ability of fluids to move within the formation and to the surface.

4. MJ#1 encountered oil in the Triassic Mohilla formation which Zion believes suggests an active deep petroleum system is in Zion’s license area. There was no natural permeability or porosity in the Triassic Mohilla formation to allow formation fluid to reach the surface naturally during testing and thus the MJ#1 was not producible or commercial.

5. The depths and thickness of the formations we encountered varied greatly from pre-drill estimates. This required the MJ#1 to be drilled to a much greater depth than previously expected. Zion has tied these revised formation depths to seismic data which will allow for more accurate interpretation and mapping in the future.


A summary of what Zion believes to be some key questions left to be answered are:

1. Is the missing shallow Senonian age source rock a result of regional erosion, or is it missing because of a fault that cut the well-bore and could be reasonably expected to be encountered in the vicinity of the MJ#1 drill site? Zion believes this is an important question to answer because if the Senonian source rocks do exist in this area, the high temperatures encountered are sufficient to mature these source rocks and generate oil.

2. Do the unusually high shallow subsurface temperatures extend regionally beyond the MJ#1 well, which could allow for the generation of hydrocarbons in the Senonian age source rock within our license area?

3. As a consequence of seismic remapping, where does the MJ#1 well lie relative to the potential traps at the Jurassic and Triassic levels and was the well location too low on the structures and deeper than the potential hydrocarbons within those traps?


As a result of these unanswered questions and with the information gained drilling the MJ#1 well, Zion now believes it is prudent and consistent with good industry practice to try and answer some of these questions with a focused 3D seismic imaging shoot of approximately 50 square kilometers surrounding the MJ#1 well.[now changed to 60 km}


The Company has commenced preliminary scouting and survey design to help identify the geologic boundaries of the proposed 3D seismic survey. Additionally, Zion held initial meetings with potential vendors to aid in the 3D seismic planning and acquisition process. Once the survey design and surface layout are completed, Zion intends to acquire the necessary government permits and negotiate potential surface damages to crops, irrigation piping, and other surface features. Zion believes it will be necessary to import seismic source equipment and autonomous wireless geophones (to record the signal) to acquire the 3D data. Once data acquisition is completed, interpretation is the final step and will involve integration with, and modification of, previous work by Zion technical staff. Zion’s ability to fully undertake all of these aforementioned activities is subject to Zion raising the needed capital, of which no assurance can be provided. [end of p.4 material]