Area Drilling

March 25, 2002
Aviva Petroleum Inc., Dallas, said seismic reprocessing is under way on the 145,000-acre Rio Magdalena association contract in the Upper Magdalena basin. The company said it is discussing with industry participants how to exploit the Guayuyaco and Rio Magdalena areas.

Colombia

Aviva Petroleum Inc., Dallas, said seismic reprocessing is under way on the 145,000-acre Rio Magdalena association contract in the Upper Magdalena basin. The company said it is discussing with industry participants how to exploit the Guayuyaco and Rio Magdalena areas.

Kazakhstan

Transmeridian Exploration Inc., Houston, plans a 3-well delineation program in third quarter 2002 in South Alibek field in the Precaspian basin 100 miles northeast of giant Tengiz field.

The government quadrupled the size of License 1557 to 14,111 acres, which the company said encompasses the field's entire structural closure.

South Alibek, fault separated from large Alibekmola field, contains oil in Middle and Lower Carboniferous zones at 2,000-4,000 m. Only test production has occurred at South Alibek.

Portugal

The government called for nominations by May 31 of areas to be included in a licensing round for deepwater areas of the Portuguese Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ).

A call for bids is to be issued July 1 with an end-November 2002 bid deadline.

The Geological and Mining Institute (IGM) of the Ministry of Economy will conduct the licensing process under decree-law 109/94, Apr. 26, 1994. IGM's website has details (www.igm.pt).

Russia

ITERA Group, Moscow, received an $868,000 grant from the US Trade and Development Agency to finance a study of the development of Cretaceous Achimov deposits in Urengoi gas-condensate field in the Yamalo-Nenetsky autonomous district.

ITERA said it is the first private gas company to receive a grant from the US agency. ITERA appointed BSI Industries to study development of deep-lying Valaazhin deposits and even less accessible Achimov deposits. The total estimated reserves is estimated at more than 350 billion cu m of gas and 117 million tons of condensate.

Gulf of Mexico

Newfield Exploration Co., Houston, was completing several key wells.

The company operated West Delta 21 No. 6 was to go on production in fourth quarter 2002. Drilled to TD 16,000 ft, it encountered 165 ft of net pay at undisclosed levels and is being completed.

Newfield's Eugene Island 163 No. 1 discovery well cut 35 ft of net gas pay. It is to be tied back to a company-operated platform on Eugene Island Block 172. Flow is to start in fourth quarter.

Newfield started production at an undisclosed rate from its 100%-owned Eugene Island 199 A-16 sidetrack, which encountered 40 ft of net gas pay. TD is 14,484 ft.

Two wells at company operated High Island Block 355 cut 135 ft and 150 ft of net gas pay above 10,000 ft. Production is to start in the fourth quarter.

Arizona

High Plains Petroleum Corp., Boulder, Colo., and LeBlanc Oil plan to drill a 1,600 ft helium wildcat near Navajo in Apache County, Ariz.

The location is on a 1,280-acre state lease on the Navajo anticline, adjacent to idle Pinta Dome field. Pinta Dome produced 6.5 bcf of helium in 1961-76. The lease is near a helium plant, highway, and railroad in the Holbrook basin (OGJ, Mar. 19, 2001, p. 36).

The field produced from Coconino sandstone, and sand thickness averaged 61 ft. A 1962 stratigraphic test about 1 mile from the new location encountered Coconino sandstone at 1,394-1,577 ft that the wellsite geologist said appeared capable of producing helium.

Louisiana

Southwestern Energy Co., Houston, spud the Miami Corp. 34-2 delineation well near a discovery recently placed on line on the Crowne prospect in Cameron Parish.

The Miami Corp. 27-1 went on line at 10 MMcfd of gas and 35 bo/d on a 12/64 in. choke with 8,625 psi FTP from an undisclosed zone. Target depth of the 34-2 is 13,455 ft.

Interests are Southwestern 40% and Helmerich & Payne Inc. and Century Royalty 2000 Ltd. each 30%.

Samson Investment Co., Tulsa, purchased from PetroQuest Energy LLC, Lafayette, the 50% interest Samson did not own in Valentine oil and gas field, Lafourche Parish.

Samson said it has identified and plans to drill several wells on the large leasehold position, covered by an 86 sq mile 3D seismic survey.

Tennessee

Miller Petroleum Inc., Huntsville, Tenn., and partner Delta Producers ran a surface geochemical survey on the southern part of the 4,000-acre Lindsey lease in Campbell County.

The companies began gas sales of 300 Mcfd from the lease in March to Woodward Marketing Inc. through the Powell Clinch Utility District, about 10% of the delivery capacity of the first four wells.

The first well, completed in October 2001, made 2.75 MMcfd of gas from Big Lime at 3,704-19 ft after stimulation. Shut-in pressure was 900 psi.

Geologic mapping indicates that another Big Lime gas field may be present on the southern part of the lease.

Utah

Pioneer Oil & Gas, South Jordan, Utah, was seeking partners for two exploration projects in the state.

One is a 23,000-acre block in an overpressured, gas prone region of the Uinta basin. Pioneer also obtained leases in White Pine County, Nev., for a new prospect, Yankee Mine West, near the Yankee gold mine oil seep well it drilled in 1992 (OGJ, July 15, 1991, p. 74). The well had good oil shows in Devonian, the primary objective.