Kazakhstan
Tethys Petroleum Ltd. reported a flow of more than 4,300 b/d of oil from a Cretaceous sandstone at the AKD06 Doris appraisal well in the North Ustyurt basin in Kazakhstan.
The company gauged the well on a 66⁄64-in. choke at a rate of 4,304 b/d of 45° gravity oil with 186 psi flowing tubing head pressure from an interval at 2,165-70 m. Flow was restricted for safety reasons, and data indicate an absolute open flow potential in excess of 6,000 b/d. The well is tied into test production facilities.
Malta
Mediterranean Oil & Gas PLC, through subsidiaries, has let a contract to Fugro-Geoteam Pty. Ltd. to shoot 1,000 sq km of long-offset 3D seismic in Area 4 in the Mediterranean off Malta. Acquisition is expected to take about 30 days. Processing is to start as soon as acquisition is complete, and results are to be in hand by the end of first-quarter 2012. MOG holds blocks 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Area 4 totaling 5,700 sq km bordering Libya.
Area 4 is covered by various vintages of 2D seismic data and by a 3D survey over the western part of Block 7. Since 2007, MOG has shot 1,012 sq km of 2D seismic and has reprocessed in time and depth the existing 3D dataset. MOG reinterpreted the entire 2D and 3D package available in the PSC, confirming four prospects and five leads.
The three most mature prospects are in Block 7, along the ramp setting of the Melita-Medina graben, close to the Libya Pelagic basin (see map, OGJ Feb. 13, 2006, p. 37).
MOG, through its Malta Oil Pty. Ltd. and Phoenicia Energy Ltd. subsidiaries, holds a 90% operated working in the Malta PSC. Leni Gas & Oil Investments Ltd. has 10%.
Oman
A group led by CC Energy Development SAL averaged 6,989 b/d of oil in October from the early production system on Blocks 3 and 4 onshore Oman.
Long-term production tests have been carried out on wells in Saiwan East field on Block 4 and Farha South field on Block 3. Production is up, said Tethys Oil AB, which has a 30% interest in the blocks, and rates continue to vary depending on test program design and available capacity.
CC Energy Development Oman branch is operator with 50% interest, while Mitsui E&P Middle East BV has 20%.
Poland
Talisman Energy Inc., Calgary, has completed drilling a shale gas exploratory well in the Baltic basin in Poland.
The Lewino 1G-2 well, on the Gdansk W concession, went to 3,600 m and encountered continuous gas shows over more than 1,000 m in middle and lower Silurian shales, Ordovician, and upper Cambrian, said partner San Leon Energy PLC (OGJ, Nov. 7, 2011, p. 36). Gas shows consist of methane with small percentages of ethane, propane, butane, and pentane.
More than 310 m of core were taken in the well to evaluate the rock properties, and an extensive open hole logging program was also performed to further evaluate the potential of the area. Evaluation and interpretation of the core and logs is expected to take 3-4 months in preparation for continued operations later in 2012.
Following completion of the well for potential future operations, Talisman will move the rig to the Braniewo concession to spud the Rogity-1 well, to be followed by a well on the Szczawno concession. Future operations are expected to include a long-offset horizontal and multistage frac.
The next step, San Leon Energy said, is to evaluate the geological data in preparation for the next phase: to prove the viability of commercially producing the huge quantity of gas from the Baltic basin.
Tunisia
Cooper Energy Ltd., Perth, expects to have processed data available from the high-resolution 3D seismic survey on its Nabeul permit in the Gulf of Hammamet off Tunisia available for interpretation in third-quarter 2012.
CGGVeritas shot 600 sq km of full-fold data on the 3,352 sq km permit in September through November. Survey objectives were to mature the Alpha, Gamma, and Updip La Marsa leads in the western part of the permit adjacent to Birsa and Oudna oil fields.
The permit lies 80-150 km off Tunisia in 270-1,200 m of water and borders Italian waters. The main exploration play is Miocene Birsa formation sandstones. The 3D seismic is expected to enable the location of a well to be drilled by 2013.
Alberta
Strategic Oil & Gas Ltd., Calgary, has completed its third successful Keg River well in the North Marlowe oil pool at Steen River, northwest Alberta, and plans to drill three more vertical Keg River wells in first-quarter 2012.
The 100/15-22-122-21w5m vertical well stabilized at 225-250 b/d of clean oil with associated gas after 11 days on production. It penetrated a dolomite zone with over 12 m of net oil pay and is structurally the highest well in the pool, on the northeastern rim of the Steen River astrobleme. The well tested close to virgin reservoir pressure.
The $1.7 million well confirms the lateral extent of the oil pool and the porosity mapping derived from the 3D seismic. Strategic has a 100% working interest in the North Marlowe Keg River pool.
British Columbia
Yoho Resources Corp. and Progress Energy Resources Corp., both of Calgary, have gauged gas-condensate in Devonian Upper Montney tight sands at horizontal wells at Nig northwest of Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
The d-97-H/94-H-4 well, in the northern part of Yoho's land block 8 miles north of the first Yoho-operated well at Nig, flowed up tubing from the horizontal section on clean-up at a rate of 5.6 MMcfd with 700 psig on a 38⁄64-in. choke with an average 56 b/d of free condensate after a seven-stage frac using a plug and perf completion.
Yoho estimates liquids production to be in excess of 30 bbl/MMcf, 40-50% condensate.
The company's first Yoho horizontal well at Nig, a-41-A/94-H-4, was placed on production in November through third-party facilities at initial rates of 5 MMcfd. The d-97-H/94-H-4 well is expected to be on production early in 2012.
Yoho and Progress are drilling a third horizontal well targeting the Upper Montney. The area is also prospective for Lower Montney, which is expected to be tested in early 2012 with the drilling of a fourth well.
Yoho has accumulated 40,751 gross (20,375 net) acres of land at Nig.
Yoho anticipates it will apply to license a 25 MMcfd compressor station at Nig, construction of which will depend on upcoming drilling results.
Louisiana
Leasing spurred by the oil and gas potential of the emerging Jurassic Lower Smackover Brown Dense limestone has spread to East and West Carroll parishes, together with St. Tammany the state's only parishes without hydrocarbon production.
Mineral rights to more than 6,000 acres of state land were leased in October in south-central East Carroll Parish, among the nation's poorest, netting more than $1.8 million, said Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Sec. Scott Angelle. Competition pushed lease prices above $300/acre, uncommon in Louisiana outside the Haynesville shale play, Angelle noted.
Private interests have nominated 3,000-plus acres of state water bottoms centering on the southwest quarter of East Carroll and parts of West Carroll and Richland parishes in the state's northeast corner for bid in the December sale. East Carroll Parish Clerk of Court staff report that private mineral lease transfers have accelerated to a rate unprecedented in recent years.
Operators have drilled 125 wells ever in East Carroll, and the 30-plus wells drilled since 1981 were all dry, Louisiana Office of Conservation records show.
Initial exploration of the Brown Dense began farther west in southern Arkansas and Claiborne and Morehouse parishes, La. (OGJ Online, July 29, 2011).
The Morehouse well was the first permitted that parish in 3 years and was quickly followed by two more, including one by ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy. Drilling has started at one of three other wells permitted in Claiborne.
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