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Vol. 231 No. 1 |
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| NELL L. BENTON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR |
Africa-Middle East. Total has concluded the drilling of its exploration well in the southern extension of Block OPL223 in the Gulf of Guinea offshore Nigeria. The Owowo South B-1 well was drilled earlier this year in a water depth of 2,198 ft. Data logs indicate that the oil-bearing reservoirs contain light oil. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the concessionaire, with Total Exploration & Production Nigeria serving as the operator of the block and of the exploration well with 82% interest. Nexen holds the remaining 18%.
Kosmos Energy’s Odum-2 appraisal well confirmed the company’s Odum oil discovery made in early 2008 offshore Ghana in the West Cape Three Points Block. Test results and reservoir fluid samples show that the well penetrated 65 ft of hydrocarbon-bearing pay in high-quality stacked-sandstone reservoirs over a gross interval of 597 ft. Kosmos Energy is the operator with 30.875% interest in partnership with an affiliate of Anadarko Petroleum holding 30.875%, an affiliate of Tullow Oil with 22.896%, Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) with a 10% carried interest and two other partners.
Jubilant Energy made a gas discovery with its exploration well drilled in Tripura state’s Assam Arrakkan Basin in Block AA-ONN-2002/1 in India. The block covers an area of approximately 18,084 ft2. The well was drilled to 13,124 ft TD.
Americas. Petrobras completed formation tests on its appraisal well drilled offshore Brazil in the Santos Basin Block BM-S-11. Tests of Well 1-BRSA-618-RJS (1-RJS-656) proved the presence of light oil of about 28°API. The well was drilled in 7,316-ft water depth at a site almost 493 mi off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Petrobras is the operator with a 65% interest in partnership with the BG Group (25%) and Galp Energia (10%).
Also in Brazil, Anadarko Petroleum’s Wahoo-2 well in the Campos Basin encountered more than 90 ft of high-quality net oil pay in the same pre-salt interval as the original Wahoo discovery. Anadarko (through a wholly owned subsidiary) is the operator of the Wahoo discoveries with a 30% interest in partnership with Devon Energy (25% working interest), Bharat PetroResources subsidiary IBV Brasil Petroleo and Videocon Industries (25%) and SK Energy (20%).
The Vulcan-Investcan Red Brook-2 gas discovery well in Newfoundland, Canada’s Bay St. George flowed natural gas to the surface in three separate drillstem tests. The well will be cased to 6,447 ft TD for further evaluation and determination of accurate sustainable flowrates.
Husky Energy discovered additional oil resources in the White Rose area offshore Newfoundland in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin. Within the Hibernia Formation, the North Amethyst E-17 well encountered 180 ft (net) of high-quality oil-bearing reservoir containing an estimated 30–85 million bbl of light crude oil. Husky is the operator of the White Rose blocks and field with 72.5% interest, along with partner Suncor Energy (27.5%). Husky Energy holds a 68.875% interest in the North Amethyst satellite field; Suncor holds 26.125% and Nalcor Energy 5%.
Talisman Energy found commercial light oil reserves at its Block 64 concession in the Maranon Basin of northern Peru. Talisman actually made the initial discovery in 2005 and has been evaluating it since then with several wells intended to delineate the parameters of the reservoir and ascertain the volume of the recoverable oil in the reservoir.
Cinch Energy reported a significant Wabamun gas discovery in the Dawson area of British Columbia with its Well 6-30-0-15W6M drilled to 12,051 ft TD. The well flowed at rates over 20 MMcfd during an initial three-hour flow period after acidization. Cinch has a 65% working interest and is the operator of this well.
Asia-Pacific. Drilling in Pan Orient Energy’s exploration well L53-A, onshore Thailand in Block L53/48, encountered more than 131 ft of interpreted net oil pay within three separate sandstone reservoir intervals in the well. Pan Orient is the operator with 100% interest.
InterOil’s Antelope-2 appraisal well drilled in Block PPL237, Eastern Papua Basin, Papua New Guinea, is flowing at a world-record 705 MMcfd of natural gas including 11,200 bpd of condensate for a total 129,000 boepd. InterOil is the operator of Block PPL237 and the Antelope wells through its subsidiary SPI (220) Limited, which holds 100% interest.
Husky Energy made a gas discovery offshore China in the South China Sea with its exploration well LH34-2-1 in Block 29/26. The new well was drilled in waters 3,757 ft deep, and tests showed a high liquids yield at an equipment-restricted rate of 55 MMcfd, with indications that future deliverability could exceed 140 MMcfd. Husky is the operator with 100% interest, and CNOOC has the right to participate in the Liwan development for up to 51% working interest.
Europe. Marathon Petroleum Norge concluded the drilling of its exploration well 25/4-10A, which encountered gas in the Heimdal Formation’s Lista sands in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Well tests showed that there is not enough gas to merit development. The 25/4-10A well has now been permanently plugged and abandoned.
Australia-New Zealand. Metgasco made a gas discovery with its Kingfisher-E1 well drilled onshore New South Wales, Australia, in Block PEL16, some 1.2 mi from Casino. The Kingfisher-E1 penetrated multiple gas-bearing sands over an interval from 3,471 to 6,782 ft, encountering a minimum of 105 ft of gas-bearing sands that have been identified.
Greymouth Petroleum has confirmed the discovery of a gas condensate field onshore North Taranaki Peninsula, New Zealand, with the drilling of the Kowhai-A1R exploration well in Block PEP38742. Independent assessments have predicted that proven and probable petroleum reserves of 126.3 Bcf of gas and 3.2 million bbl of condensate are producible from the permit area.
Woodside Petroleum made a new gas discovery offshore northwestern Australia in the Carnarvon Basin’s Greater Pluto area. The Eris-1 exploration well encountered a 197-ft gross gas column in well-developed sandstones, which may supply enough gas to feed the Pluto LNG project’s first liquefied natural gas train, which is currently under construction. The Kingfisher structure contains contingent gas resources of 82 Bcf, with 36.6 Bcf attributed to the earlier Riflebird-E14 find. 
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