Kazakhstan
Altius Energy Corp., Calgary, completed drilling 22 new wells in Besbolek and Karataikyz fields in the Pre-Caspian basin in July 2004.
New reserves and production have been added with completion of the first four of these wells at Besbolek, the company said.
Production averaged 2,200 b/d of oil in September, although this may decrease due to transportation difficulties normally experienced during autumn.
Altius is soon to merge with Arawak Energy Corp., Calgary (OGJ Online, July 19, 2004).
New Zealand
Austral Pacific Energy Ltd., Wellington, was preparing to spud Cardiff-2, projected to 16,000 ft to evaluate Eocene-Paleocene Kapuni sands less than 5 miles northeast of large Kapuni gas-condensate field.
Elsewhere on southern PEP 38737 in the Taranaki basin, Austral Pacific spudded the Cheal A-4 well on Oct. 18 and was deviating the well bore northeastwards from the Cheal A wellsite to intersect Miocene Mount Messenger sandstones midway between the Cheal- A3X and Cheal-2 bottomhole locations.
Cheal-A3X averaged 300 b/d of oil from these sandstones on test in July 2004.
Romania
Grove Energy Ltd. took a farmout from Sterling Resources Ltd., Calgary, to earn a 40% working interest in the South Craiova Concession, subject to regulatory approval. Sterling remains operator with 60% interest.
Grove will fund 80% of the first well, 60% of a 140-km 2D seismic program, and 50% of a second well to earn the 40% interest.
The first well, Cetatuia, will test a multitarget prospect on the western edge of the Bailesti Depression. Main targets are in the Tertiary and Triassic sections. Cretaceous and Jurassic also may have potential.
Tanzania
EastCoast Energy Corp., Tortola, British Virgin Islands, is setting up operations as a public company to engage in exploration and production in East Africa.
Spun off from PanOcean Energy Corp., St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands, on Aug. 31, EastCoast owns the Songo Songo natural gas project that supplies gas from wells on and off Songo Songo Island via pipeline to a power plant in Dar es Salaam (OGJ Online, July 21, 2004).
Venezuela
PetroFalcon Corp., Carpinteria, Calif., said its Vinccler Oil & Gas CA unit tested oil and gas at the LV-7X well in La Vela field on the East Falcon Block from a zone in which the company has not previously booked reserves.
The well flowed at the rate of 1,200 b/d of 25° oil and 400 Mcfd of gas on a 1/2-in. choke with 700 psi FTP from a net 150 ft of perforations at 7,127-7,729 ft.
The well is on a feature with 7,500 acres of structural closure.
The company was working over two other wells in the field.
Montana
K2 Energy Corp., Calgary, sought permits for 5 to 9 wells on its lands on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Glacier County west of Cut Bank.
Two to 5 wells will target Moulton/Glauconite channel sands at 4,000 ft on the company's eastern land block, where K2 reprocessed 40 miles and interpreted 200 miles of 2D seismic data this summer across six townships west of Cut Bank Moulton pool.
Three to 4 wells are planned on the western land block on the northern part of K2's lands, where technical data indicate increasing reservoir pressures in upper Cretaceous sandstones toward the Canadian border. These locations will target undrilled regional and-or thrusted Virgelle and Two Medicine sandstones.
