Desire has two-zone gas find north of Falklands

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Apr. 6 -- Desire Petroleum PLC is plugging its Liz 14/19-1 well in the North Falkland basin as a natural gas discovery in two zones.

Early log analysis indicates the well cut 17 m of net hydrocarbon pay at 2,961-3,031 m in an overpressured, mainly sandstone, reservoir that appears to contain wet gas. A hydrocarbon sample and formation pressures were recovered. No water leg is indicated, and much work is needed to determine reservoir quality, trapping mechanism, and hydrocarbon potential.

The well also recovered dry gas below 3,400 m from a poor-quality reservoir in a pressure regime different from the shallower zone. The rock type and reservoir potential are uncertain. Total depth is 3,667 m.

Desire said, “The Liz fan was encountered between 2,540 and 2,568 m. Good oil shows were recorded while drilling but logging and sampling confirmed that this reservoir interval was tight. It is believed the Beth fan was also penetrated between 2,654 and 2,672 m also with oil shows in tight reservoir. In both fans, work will now try to determine whether better quality reservoir may be developed updip.”

The company also noted weak oil shows in conglomeratic zones at 2,706-2,932 m.

The well didn't reach the deepest play type in the prerift, and it wasn't suspended for later tests because it wasn't designed to test overpressured gas.

Liz was the first well in a multiwell campaign to explore the North Falkland basin. Rockhopper Exploration will now drill two wells in the North Falkland basin and BHP one in the East Falkland basin before the rig returns to Desire for further drilling later in the year.

Desire's Chairman Stephen Phipps said: "This well has proved complex and highly encouraging. Hydrocarbons have been found in two separate intervals, the geological model for the basin has been confirmed and at least two petroleum systems have been drilled, with hydrocarbon shows recorded over a wide interval. More sandstone was encountered than expected but typically of poor quality. However new reservoir targets have been identified and the challenge will be to predict where these may occur in better quality.

“This well has provided some promising results, gas has been discovered at two levels and the prospectivity of the basin has been greatly enhanced. We now intend to carry out technical work to assess and analyze the information that we have obtained from this well and we are very much looking forward to resuming the drilling campaign later in the year.”