W&T Offshore makes deepwater gulf discovery, starts Medusa production

May 28, 2015
W&T Offshore Inc., Houston, reported a discovery at Ewing Banks Block 910 and the start of production from the SS No. 6 well in Mississippi Canyon Block 538 field, both in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

W&T Offshore Inc., Houston, reported a discovery at Ewing Banks Block 910 and the start of production from the Medusa SS No. 6 well on Mississippi Canyon Block 538, both in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Drilling of the Ewing Banks 910 A-5 ST well yielded 160 ft of gross hydrocarbon interval. W&T, which is completing the well, says it expects recovery to exceed predrill estimates and anticipates the well could be online and flowing by the end of the second quarter. W&T has 50% working interest in A-5 ST.

Next up at Ewing Banks 910 is the drilling of the A-8 exploration well, which based on seismic data is estimated to be a significantly larger reserve target than A-5 ST, the company says. Additional drilling locations in the area have been pinpointed as a result of ongoing geological and geophysical review of WAZ seismic data.

Production has launched, meanwhile, from the recently drilled Medusa SS No. 6 well at a gross rate of 8,000 b/d of oil and 6 MMcfd of natural gas, combining for a total rate of 9,000 boe/d. A second extension well at Medusa, the SS No. 7, is being completed. W&T has a 15% working interest in Medusa field.

The company also says progress is being made on work to bring online Big Bend and Dantzler fields respectively on Mississippi Canyon Blocks 698 and 782. Three vessels are operating in the area, with one performing umbilical installation work, one conducting sea trials before the pipeline system is installed, and a third serving as a flotel for the preparation of topside facilities at Thunderhawk, the host platform (OGJ Online, Sept. 18, 2014).

Production from Big Bend is expected to launch in the fourth quarter while production from Dantzler is now expected to launch closer to yearend. The anticipated combined rate from Big Bend and Dantzler is expected to reach more than 8,000 boe/d net to the company’s 20% working interest, the company says.

W&T’s operations reside primarily in the gulf, where it holds working interests in 63 offshore fields—61 producing—covering 1.2 million gross acres in federal and state waters.