Exploration discoveries

	Vol. 229 No.2
ARTHUR BERMAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, bermanae@gmail.com

Africa. Melrose Resources made a probable gas discovery on the El Mansoura Block near the West Dikirnis Field, onshore Egypt. The West Zahira-1 well found a 35-ft gas column in the Qawasim Formation at 10,070 ft. The structure may contain 60 Bcf of reserves. Melrose operates the El Mansoura Block with 100% interest.

Noble Energy made another deepwater discovery with its I-4 exploration well in the Gulf of Guinea, Block I, Equatorial Guinea. Well I-4 tested 1,634 bpd of condensate and 28.9 MMcfd of gas from Miocene sandstone reservoirs in 2,226 ft of water, and was drilled to a TD of 9,721 ft. Noble’s partners in Block I include Atlas Petroleum International (29%), Glencore Exploration (25%) and Osborne Resources (6%).

Asia. Jura Energy and Petroleum Exploration Limited’s Khanpur-2 tested at 6.71 MMcfd on Block 22 in the Central Gas Basin, Pakistan. Gas was tested from the Sui Main Limestone after reaching a 3,803-ft TD.

Reliance Industries discovered gas on the KG-OSN-2001/1 (KG-III-5) Block in the Krishna Godavari Basin, offshore eastern India. A 344-ft gas column was found in Miocene sandstone reservoirs. The KG-III-05-J1 well was drilled in 495 ft of water to a 9,252-ft TD, making it the third discovery on the block. Reliance holds a 100% participating interest in the block.

Aladdin Oil & Gas’s West Uthinskoye-17 exploration well found oil in the Timan-Pechora Basin of Russia at a depth of 689 ft.

India’s ONGC discovered gas on Block MN-DWN-98/3 in the Mahanadi Basin off India’s Orissa coast. ONGC holds 100% interest in the block and is its operator. While it is unlikely that reserves will be significant, it represents the company’s third gas discovery in the basin over the past year.

Tethys Petroleum made a new gas discovery with its Akkulka AKK13 exploration well drilled in onshore Kazakhstan. The well tested 4 MMcfd over 20 ft of pay below 1,621 ft.

Talisman Energy reported a second discovery with its Hai Su Den exploration well offshore Vietnam, Block 15-2/01. The well tested at a peak rate of 13,450 bpd of light oil and 6.87 MMcfd of gas in Miocene sandstone reservoirs. The well was drilled to a TD of 11,168 ft and encountered 2,400 ft of gross pay column. Talisman is the operator with a 60% working interest in Block 15-2/01, and PetroVietnam Exploration and Production Co. has 40%.

Europe. In Norway, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy received 301 nominations from 46 companies for blocks in the 20th Norwegian Continental Shelf licensing round. This represents a substantial increase from the 19 companies that participated in the 19th licensing round nomination process.

“The companies have shown high interest for nominating blocks in this round. I am particularly pleased to see that small and medium-sized oil companies now have nominated blocks,” said Minister Aslaug Haga.

Companies that nominated blocks included: Aker Exploration, BG Norge, Centrica Resources, Chevron Norge, ConocoPhillips, Dana Petroleum, Det norske oljeselskap, DONG E&P Norge, E.ON Ruhrgas, Eni Norge, Esso Norge, Gaz de France Norge, Hess Norge, Idemitsu Petroleum Norge, Lundin Norway, Maersk Oil Exploration Norway, Marathon Petroleum Norge, Nexen Exploration Norge, Norske Shell, OMV (Norge), PA Resources Norway, Petro-Canada Norge, Premier Oil Norge, RWE Dea Norge, StatoilHydro, Talisman Energy, Total E&P Norge and Wintershall Norge.

North America. Hard Rock Exploration found oil and gas in Cabell County, West Virginia. The HR-216 well flowed at a rate of about 960 bpd, and the HR-219 well tested at a stabilized rate of 2 MMcfd.

ExxonMobil and StatoilHydro’s Julia well in Walker Ridge Block 848, deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is an indicated oil discovery. The Julia well drilled to a 31,169-ft TD in 7,654 ft of water.

South America. Petro-Canada discovered gas in Block 22 in deep water off the northwest coast of Tobago. While the company has made no official statement, it has been reported that a very large gas flare was seen during testing operations on the Cassra-A well. Petro-Canada is the operator of Block 22, and Repsol-YPF is their partner.

Repsol-YPF, Petrobras and Burlington Resources made a gas and condensate discovery in Block 57 in Peru’s Cuzco province. The Kinteroni-X1 tested 35.31 MMcfd of gas and 1,245 bpd of condensate. The structure extends for 14 mi and reserves could be in the range of 2 Tcf.

Canadian Superior Energy discovered gas offshore Trinidad and Tobago Block 5(c). The company’s Victory well tested 100 MMcfgd, and extended flow tests averaged 40-45 MMcfd with 30 bbl condensate per MMcfg. BG International and Challenger Energy are Canadian Superior’s partners in the block and discovery well.

Ecopetrol’s Platanillo-2 well found oil in the B limestone, T sandstone and U sandstone reservoirs on the Platanillo Block, Colombia. The B limestone flowed at 450 bopd from 8,395-8,402 ft. The T sandstone tested at rates up to 430 bopd from 8,450-8,455 ft, which later increased to a 70% watercut. The U sandstone flowed at 161 bopd from 8,295-8,298 ft. 

Arthur Berman is a geological consultant specializing in petroleum geology, seismic interpretation and database design and management. He has over 20 years working for major oil companies and was editor of the Houston Geological Society’s Bulletin. He earned an MS in geology from the Colorado School of Mines.