Exploration discoveries

	Vol. 230 No. 10
ARTHUR BERMAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, bermanae@gmail.com

Americas. BP made a Lower Tertiary discovery with its Tiber well on Keathley Canyon Block 102 in the US Gulf of Mexico. Most likely recoverable reserves are 450 million boe. The well is located 250 mi southeast of Houston in 4,132 ft of water. Pay was found in multiple sandstone reservoirs within the Paleocene-Eocene Wilcox Group. See the September issue, p. 10, for more details.

Petrobras tested its 1-SPS-55 (1-BRSA-594) Guara discovery, made in June 2008 on Block BM-S-9. The well flowed up to 7,000 bopd from pre-salt reservoirs in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil. The company estimates recoverable reserves of 1.1–2.0 billion boe, and anticipates initial production rates of 50,000 bopd from the field. The well is located 190 mi off the coast of Sao Paolo state in 7,025 ft of water about 35 mi southeast of Tupi Field, which has been shut in due to mechanical problems. Petrobras operates with 45% interest in partnership with BG Group (30%) and Repsol (25%).

Also in the Santos Basin, Petrobras confirmed the Abare Oeste subsalt discovery on Block BM-S-9 with its 4-SPS-66C (4-BRSA-723C) well. The well is located 180 mi off the coast of Sao Paulo state in 7,096 ft of water. Petrobras operates with 45% interest in partnership with BG Group (30%) and Repsol (25%).

Eni made a gas discovery on Block Cardon IV in the Gulf of Venezuela. Preliminary reserve estimates are 7−8 Tcf, according to Eni’s partner Repsol. Eni operates with 50% interest in partnership with Repsol (50%); PDVSA has the right to back in for 35% once the discovery is determined to be commercial.

Armstrong Operating made a discovery in the Williston Basin with its Laurine Engel-1 well in Stark County, North Dakota. The well tested 463 bopd from 10 ft of perforations in Lodgepole reservoirs. It was drilled to a 9,754-ft TD, and it is the first significant Lodgepole discovery in 10 years.

Africa-Middle East. Anadarko Petroleum has discovered oil with its Venus B-1 well drilled on Block SL6/07 offshore Sierra Leone. Anadarko found 45 ft of Cretaceous pay in the well, which was drilled to an 18,500-ft TD in 5,900 ft of water. Anadarko operates with 40% working interest, with partners Woodside (25%), Repsol (25%) and Tullow (10%).

Vitol and its partners made a gas discovery with the Sankofa-1A well on the Tano/Cape Three Point Basin blocks offshore Ghana. Vitol found 119 ft of pay in Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) sandstone reservoirs. The well is located 24 mi east of Jubilee Field in 2,841 ft of water, and was drilled to a 12,153-ft TD. Vitol operates with 90% interest, and GNPC has a 10% carried interest with the option to acquire an additional 10% working interest in development wells.

Oil Search has made an apparent discovery with its Shakal-1 well in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The well tested 750 bopd from a 39-ft interval in Paleogene Jaddala and Aalije reservoirs. The well was drilled to a 9,964-ft TD.

Iran claims an apparent deeper pool discovery in the onshore Susangerd Field in Khuzestan Province. The Minister of Petroleum said the discovery has in-place oil reserves of 8.8  billion bbl. The well was drilled to a 16,490-ft TD.

Tatneft made an oil discovery with its A1-82/04 well on Block A1 of Area 82 in the Ghadames Basin of onshore Libya. The well tested 400 bopd from Ouan Kasa reservoirs from 5,900 to 5,908 ft. The well was drilled to a TD of 8,605 ft in a location 215 mi south of Tripoli. Tatneft operates with 10.5% interest with Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) holding the remainder.

NOC subsidiary Arabian Gulf Oil Company made a discovery with its B1-NC4 well in the Ghadames Basin, onshore Libya. The well tested 4,012 bopd and 1.36 MMcfgd from Lower Akakus reservoirs, and 600 bopd and 4.8 MMcfgd from the Mamouniyat interval. The well was drilled to a TD of 10,500 ft in a location 120 mi south of Tripoli.

Vegas Oil & Gas’ Al-Amir SE-3 appraisal well tested 2,395 bopd and 2.2 MMcfd from Kareem Shagar reservoirs in the North West Gemsa Concession, onshore Egypt. The concession is located 175 mi southeast of Cairo near the Gulf of Suez. Vegas operates with 50% interest in partnership with Circle Oil, (40%) and Premier Oil (10%).

Europe. StatoilHydro made a discovery with its 6407/2-5S Nona well on Block 6407/2 in the Norwegian Sea. The company estimates recoverable reserves of 13−31 million bbl of oil and 35−71 Bcfg. The well is located 6 mi southeast of Asgard Field in 820 ft of water, and was drilled to a 10,791-ft TD.

BG Norge estimates recoverable reserves between 38 and 63 million boe after drilling three appraisal wells at its Bream oil discovery on Block 17/12 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The field is located 30 mi northwest of Yme Field in 361 ft of water. BG Norge operates with 40% interest in partnership with Premier Oil Norge (20%), Skeie Energy (20%) and Spring Energy Exploration (20%).

StatoilHydro estimates proved reserves between 15 and 25 million boe at its Smorbukk Field discovery after drilling a successful appraisal well on Block 6506/12 in PL094 in the North Sea. Pay was found in Jurassic and Cretaceous reservoirs in this Asgard Field extension. StatoilHydro operates with 100% interest.

Asia-Pacific. Pan Orient Energy made a discovery with its BR-1RDST1 Bo Rang-A well onshore northern Thailand. The well tested 686 bopd and 3.29 MMcfgd from volcanic reservoirs at a depth of 2,175 ft in a 1,100-ft lateral. Pan Orient operates with 60% interest, with Carnarvon holding the remaining 40%.

Newfield Exploration discovered oil with its LF7-1 well on Block 16/05 in the South China Sea offshore China. The well tested 6,000 bopd from 246 ft of pay in several sandstone reservoirs. The company estimates recoverable oil reserves of 30 million bbl. Newfield operates with 100% interest, and CNOOC has the right to participate in development drilling with a 51% interest.

OGDC’s Nashpa-1 well tested 3,000 bopd and 9.67 MMcfgd on the Karak Block (Block 3370-11) onshore Pakistan in the North West Frontier Province. It was the second discovery drilled on the block.

ONGC made a gas discovery with its Sundalbari-4 exploration well on the Tripura Block in the Assam and Assam Arakan Basins of onshore India. The well tested 5.7 MMcfd from an interval between 7,100 and 7,113 ft, and was drilled to a TD of 11,155 ft.