Australia
Exploratory drilling in the country in the first 9 months of 2002 was at the lowest level for 2 decades, Geoscience Australia reported. Operators drilled 32 offshore and 28 onshore wells in the first 9 months of 2002.
The 8 offshore discoveries were Double Island, Victoria, Pedirka, Little Sandy, Hoover, and Exeter oil fields in the Carnarvon basin off Western Australia; Cash oil field in the Bonaparte basin off the Northern Territory; and Casino gas field in the Otway basin off Victoria.
The 11 onshore discoveries included Buttress gas field and Port Fairy oil and gas field in the Otway basin in Victoria; Norkam gas field in the Bowen/Surat basin in Queensland; Tellus South, Stokes Central and Acrus gas fields in the Cooper/Eromanga basin in Queensland; and Acrasia, Sellicks, Maslins, Aldinga, and Henley oil fields in the Cooper/Eromanga basin in South Australia.
Fourteen of the discovery designations were based on data inferred from logs.
The level of 2D and 3D seismic acquisition was down sharply from the comparable 2001 periods except that 2D offshore seismic acquisition was up from the second quarter of 2002. The only 3D shot in the third quarter was a 563 sq km survey in the Gippsland basin off Victoria.
UK North Sea
Three of four natural gas fields involved in the Juno network have come on stream, announced partners BG Group PLC, BP PLC, and Amerada Hess Corp.
The companies invested $400 million in second phase development in a region known as the Easington Catchment Area (ECA) off Humberside.
Whittle field started producing Dec. 31, 2002, while Wollaston field production started Jan. 2, 2003, followed by first gas from Minerva field on Jan. 7. First gas from Apollo field is expected in April. BG operates Minerva and Apollo, and BP operates Wollaston and Whittle.
The four fields contain a pre-development estimate of 300 bcf of gross recoverable reserves. Plans call for three more Minerva wells and a second Apollo well to come into production by the third quarter.
The project, together with the ECA Phase 1 development, represents the accelerated development of the ECA fields by using the BG-operated ECA riser tower and BP
Alberta
Promax Energy Inc., Calgary, drilled a Cretaceous Mannville channel gas discovery in late 2002 and plans significant additional activity this year subject to availability of funds.
Six of 8 wells drilled to the Mississippian in 2002 resulted in discoveries. The most recent had an initial flow rate of 1.6 MMcfd of gas at 1,154 psi flowing bottomhole pressure and 1,252 psi shut-in BHP. CAOF potential is 17.7 MMcfd on a 1-point flow and buildup test. Promax did not give the well location, but the company operates in southeastern Alberta.
All 24 wells the company drilled in 2002 are capable of production from Medicine Hat or shallower zones. Plans for 2003 call for the drilling of as many as 60 Mississippian wells and 180 Medicine Hat wells.
Gulf of Mexico
Stone Energy Corp., Lafayette, started production from a discovery on West Cameron Block 45 in mid-December.
The single well produced 25.2 MMcfd of gas and 125 b/d of oil from an undisclosed interval. Drilled to 16,444 ft, the well cut 59 net ft of gas productive sand. Range Resources Corp., Fort Worth, has a 25% working interest.
