Exploration discoveries

	Vol. 229 No. 11
ARTHUR BERMAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, bermanae@gmail.com

South America. Petrobras made another light-oil discovery with its Tiro 1-BRSA-658-SPS (1-SPS-57) well in the southern part of the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, Block BM-S-40. The company estimates recoverable reserves of about 150 million boe of light oil and gas similar to other pre-salt discoveries in the basin. The well is located 6 mi from the previously announced May discovery 1-BRSA-607-SPS (1-SPS-56), and is about 125 mi offshore Sao Paulo state in 900 ft of water. Pay was found in Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs at 6,759 ft. Petrobras has 100% interest.

Petrobras completed drilling its Jupiter 1-BRSA-559A-RJS (1-RJS-652A) well in Block BM-S-24 in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. The well was announced as a major discovery in January but was suspended because of operational difficulties. Drilling was later resumed to an 18,941-ft TD. The company estimates that recoverable reserves exceed 5 billion boe in the pre-salt reservoirs. In addition to finding light oil and condensate, high CO2 content was reported in the oil. The well is located 180 mi off the coast of Sao Paolo state in 7,175 ft of water, 23 mi east of the Tupi discovery. Petrobras operates with 80% interest, and Galp Energia has the remaining 20%.

Anadarko Petroleum made a pre-salt discovery in the Campos Basin with its Wahoo 1-APL-1-ESS well in Block BM-C-30, offshore Brazil. The company did not disclose details but said that wireline logs indicate at least 195 ft of net pay. The well is located about 75 mi from the coast of Espirito Santo state in 4,650-ft water depth, and is 25 mi southeast of the giant Jubarte Field, Brazil’s first pre-salt discovery in 2002. The Wahoo well is currently drilling below 18,400 ft, and Anadarko plans to continue to a TD of 20,000 ft. Anadarko operates with 30% working interest, in partnership with Devon Energy (25% interest), EnCana Brasil Petroleo (25%) and SK (20%).

Onshore Colombia, Solana Resources’ Los Aceites-1 exploration well found pay in Carbonera C-7 reservoirs from 6,874 to 6,884 ft, and was drilled to a 7,108-ft TD. The well tested 5,645 bopd during a 48-hour flow test in the Llanos Basin. Solana is the operator with 100% working interest.

Africa. Vegas Oil & Gas discovered oil and gas with its Al Amir SE-1 well in the onshore Gulf of Suez Basin, Northwest Gemsa Concession in Egypt. The well tested 3,388 bpd of 41°API oil and 4.25 MMcfd gas, and is located 186 mi southeast of Cairo. Vegas operates (50% interest) in partnership with Circle Oil (40%) and Premier (10%).

Verenex Energy made two discoveries in Libya. Its C1-47/04 well, drilled in Block 4 of Area 47 of the Ghadames Basin in Libya, found oil and gas in two zones. The well tested 4.2 MMcfd and 900 bopd from Memouniat reservoirs below 9,962 ft, and 4.5 MMcfd and 150 bopd from the Lower Acacus below 7,819 ft. The well is located onshore about 90 mi southwest of Tripoli and was drilled to a 10,155-ft TD. Verenex’s G1-47-02a well was drilled about 20 mi southeast of the C1-47/04 well (Block 2 of Area 47) and was also a discovery. It flowed 1,739 bopd from the Lower Acacus and was drilled to a 8,312-ft TD. Verenex Energy operates both wells with its partner Medco Energi Internasional, and they share a 13.7% interest. NOC, Libya’s state oil company, holds the remaining 86.3% interest.

Also in Libya, RWE Dea made its eighth oil discovery with its G1-NC193 well drilled on Block NC193 in the Sirte Basin. The well tested 426 bopd of 34°API from the Upper Satal Formation between 4,631 and 4,661 ft drilling depth.

Maurel & Prom’s OMBG-1 well found pay in two zones of the Gres de Base Sandstone on the Omoueyi Block, onshore Gabon. The well tested a combined flowrate of 920 bopd of 34°API oil from 157 ft of total pay. The discovery is located about 5 mi northeast of Onal Field and 2.5 mi west of the recent OMKO-10 discovery that tested 5,510 bopd. The well was drilled to a TD of 4,285 ft. Maurel & Prom operates the block with 100% interest.

Europe. StatoilHydro has increased the reserve estimate in its Dagny 15/5 7A sidetrack well from 100−125 to 130−170 million boe. Including the adjacent Ermintrude discovery, the total recoverable reserves are estimated at 180−240 MMboe. The sidetrack well tested 5,645 bopd from Jurassic Hugin reservoirs. Dagny straddles two separate blocks and is located about 6 mi northwest of the giant Sleipner Field. StatoilHydro is the operator of PL048 with 78.2%, in partnership with Total Norge (21.8%). ExxonMobil is the operator of PL029 with 100% interest.

Eni’s Argo-2 well is a gas discovery in the Sicilian Strait, offshore Italy. It was drilled in 1,903 ft of water about 12 mi off the coast of Sicily. The well flowed 6 MMcfd and confirms the 636 Bcf recoverable reserves indicated by the Argo-1 gas discovery announced in 2006. The recent Cassiopea-1 gas discovery and Panda discovery are in the same general area. No further details were available. Eni operates with 60% interest in partnership with Edison Gas (40%).

BG Norge confirmed its Jordbaer 34/3-1S discovery with its appraisal well 34/3-1A drilled in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, Block 34/3, PL 373S. The discovery was announced in August of this year, and the company now estimates recoverable reserves of 66−96 MMboe from Lower Jurassic reservoirs. The appraisal well is located 28 mi northeast of Snorre Field and was drilled in 1,312 ft of water to a TD of 13,039 ft.

Sterling Resources has made an indicated discovery with its East Breagh well in Block 42/13 in the UK sector of the North Sea. The success is based on strong gas shows while drilling and core analysis, which indicate two gas pay zones that comprise a total of 72 ft of net sand. Core porosities are as high as 18%, and permeabilities are up to 50 mD. The well was drilled to an 8,000-ft TD.

Asia Pacific. Rift Oil’s Puk Puk-1 well was drilled on Highlands Block PPL235 in Papua New Guinea. It tested a combined flowrate of 29.2 MMcfd from Toro and Lower Hedinia reservoirs. The Lower Hedinia accounted for 20.85 MMcfd of the combined rate. The company estimates probable reserves of 430 Bcf and 8.5 million bbl of condensate. Rift Oil is the operator with 65% interest in partnership with Austral Pacific (35%).

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