BP, Noble plug, abandon deepwater Bright well on Atwater Valley block

Aug. 15, 2014
The BP Exploration & Production Inc.-operated Bright exploration well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico did not show hydrocarbons after reaching the targeted Upper and Middle Miocene objectives, according to Noble Energy Inc., an equal partner in the well.

The BP Exploration & Production Inc.-operated Bright exploration well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico did not show hydrocarbons after reaching the targeted Upper and Middle Miocene objectives, according to Noble Energy Inc., an equal partner in the well.

The well, drilled to a total depth of 13,500 ft in 5,600 ft of water on Atwater Valley Block 362, has been plugged and abandoned.

Noble says full well assessment and the integration of drilling results into the company’s geologic models is ongoing to determine forward exploration plans on its Atwater Valley acreage, which was acquired from BP in June (OGJ Online, June 16, 2014).

“While we are disappointed with the results of the Bright well, we remain extremely encouraged by the recent success of our exploration program in the gulf,” said Susan Cunningham, Noble senior vice-president, Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, and frontier. “We look forward to results at our Katmai and Dantzler exploration wells later this month,” she said.

Noble made an oil discovery on Dantzler in late 2013 (OGJ Online, Dec. 4, 2013). The company operates that well with 45% interest.