Third French Guiana deepwater wildcat dry

July 23, 2013
A Shell affiliate has found extensive development of the targeted sands but no indications of hydrocarbons and will plug the GM-ES-4 exploratory well offshore French Guiana.

A Shell affiliate has found extensive development of the targeted sands but no indications of hydrocarbons and will plug the GM-ES-4 exploratory well offshore French Guiana.

Third in a four-well program that followed the Zaedyus-1 oil discovery, GM-ES-4 went to a total depth of 6,292 m and penetrated and logged both the primary and secondary reservoir objectives of the Cebus prospect. The Stena ICEMax drillship will now drill GM-ES-5.

Interests in the Guyane Maritime license are Shell 45%, Tullow Oil PLC 27.5%, Total SA 25%, and Northpet, a company owned 50-50 by Northern Petroleum PLC and Wessex Exploration PLC, 2.5%.

GM-ES-5 will be located on the Cingulata fan with the objective of determining the oil-water contact of the Zaedyus-1 discovery by measuring the pressure in the water leg as well as gathering geological data from deeper unpenetrated sections (see map, OGJ, June 4, 2012, p. 43).