Anadarko's Lucius taps Pliocene, Miocene oil

Dec. 10, 2009
A group led by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is gathering data to analyze fluids from its Lucius exploration well in the ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico after it encountered more than 200 ft of net pay in subsalt Pliocene and Miocene sands.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 10
-- A group led by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is gathering data to analyze fluids from its Lucius exploration well in the ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico after it encountered more than 200 ft of net pay in subsalt Pliocene and Miocene sands.

The group will drill an updip sidetrack appraisal well about 3,200 ft due south of the discovery in the southwest part of Keathley Canyon Block 875, originally awarded to Kerr-McGee Corp., near the southeast corner of the Keathley Canyon planning area.

Lucius is a three-way structure against salt, and the thick reservoir sands have good porosity and permeability, Anadarko said. The discovery well went to a total depth of 20,000 ft in 7,100 ft of water.

Lucius is about 70 miles south of the Red Hawk spar, whose “proximity and availability…enhances our potential development options and offers the opportunity to accelerate the production of these resources,” Anadarko said.

Anadarko operates Lucius with 50% working interest. Plains Exploration & Production Co. has 33.33%, and Mariner Energy Inc. has 16.67%.

Four blocks south of Lucius is Anadarko’s Phobos, an Anadarko Lower Tertiary prospect in Sigsbee Escarpment Blocks 39 and 40.