TotalFinaElf plans 2003 Tempa Rossa development

Sept. 4, 2002
TotalFinaElf SA, which recently became operator of Tempa Rossa oil field, said development of the field would begin next year, with first production expected in 2006.

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Sept. 4 -- TotalFinaElf SA, which recently became operator of Tempa Rossa oil field in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, said development of the field would begin next year, with first production expected in 2006.

The project incorporates the now-unified Gorgoglione and Tempa d'Emma concessions. Five exploration wells and a sidetrack well were drilled in the field in the1990s and tested, showing 20° gravity, 6% sulfur crude oil, which will be piped, via the Val d'Agri-Taranto pipeline, to Agip Petroli's refinery in Taranto on Italy's coast for treatment and then exported. Proved reserves are estimated at 420 million boe, with associated gas forming about 7% of the total (OGJ, Dec. 6, 1999, p. 81).

All the wells are oil productive from Miocene through Cretaceous limestones and dolomites. The oil column in the field is estimated at 1,000 m gross and 700 m net.

Test rates range to as much as 8,038 b/d, and long-term test results from at least two wells have been published. The No. 2 well produced a total of 116,000 bbl of oil (17°) during a 135-day test, at an average rate of 1,220 b/d. The test produced no water and reflected no decrease in reservoir pressure. A 1992 sidetrack of the No.1 well tested oil rates of over 7,600 b/d (17-22°) and had produced over 500,000 bbl of oil through December 1996 during "test" production. As of the end of 1996 the well was producing at a rate of 3,700 b/d.

Tempa Rossa is expected to reach a production plateau of 50,000 b/d of oil, TotalFinaElf said. The company recently purchased former operator ENI SPA's 25% interest in the field, giving TotalFinaElf a 50% ownership interest as well as operatorship of the field.

Other partners are Enterprise Oil Italiana 25% and Mobil Oil Italiana 25%.