Bangladesh
Unocal Corp. will develop Bibiyana field on Block 12 in the Habiganj district of northeastern Bangladesh for production start-up in the fourth quarter of 2006.
The $230 million development in the Bengal basin will involve as many as 15 development wells and a gas processing plant with a capacity of 300 MMcfd initially and 600 MMcfd eventually. Two pipelines will be built to connect the field to the national grid. Unocal's interest is 100% (see map, OGJ, Apr. 22, 2002, p. 48).
Under a gas sales contract with state Petrobangla, Unocal will produce at least 200 MMcfd of gas. The government intends to nominate 250-300 MMcfd for purchase. Minimum volumes under the contract increase to 400 MMcfd at the end of 2008.
Unocal subsidiaries supply nearly 15% of the country's gas, producing 180 MMcfd from Jalalabad field on Block 13. Unocal is to start up Moulavi Bazar field on Block 14 in the second quarter of 2005 and deliver 100 MMcfd of gas. Petrobangla is the gas purchaser.
Colombia
Harken Energy Corp., Dallas, said its Global Energy Development PLC unit signed a contract for the 85,000-acre Los Hatos area that adjoins the producing Palo Blanco oil field in the central Llanos basin.
The contract requires Global to drill one exploratory well in the 16-month Phase 1 and either drill one well or acquire 50 line km of 2D seismic if it elects to enter 12-month Phase 2. Optional 12-month phases 3, 4, and 5 each require one exploratory well.
The Los Hatos acreage adjoins the company's Alcaravan acreage, allowing Global the opportunity to possibly expand Palo Blanco field to the south. The Los Hatos contract supplements the current drilling program in Palo Blanco, where Global had 1.8 million bbl of net proved reserves as of Dec. 31, 2003.
Turkey
A group led by Toreador Resources Corp., Dallas, launched a $5.3 million, 190-sq-km 3D seismic survey over the South Akcakoca area in the western Black Sea.
The group holds 962,000 acres on eight contiguous shelf blocks, one of which holds the Ayazli-1 discovery well (see map, OGJ, June 21, 2004, p. 34).
Ayazli-1, 5 miles offshore in 250 ft of water, logged gas zones in the Eocene age Kusuri formation at 2,122-3,171 ft and flowed on multiple tests at a combined rate of 15 MMcfd of gas on a 32/64-in. choke with 824 psi average flowing wellhead pressure.
Following back-in by Turkey's state TPAO on the eight permits, Stratic Energy Corp., Calgary, is funding the seismic program and all future work on the permits at a 12.25% working interest.
Toreador said the discovery supports its previous estimate of 350 bcf potentially recoverable in the greater South Akcakoca area. Early studies by Toreador suggest that 80-100 bcf of recoverable gas would justify an early gas development in the area by late 2006 from as many as eight wells producing 5-7 MMcfd/well, Stratic said.
The seismic data will be used to ascertain gas distribution, more accurately predict reserves, and aid future appraisal and development drilling.
Several appraisal and exploratory wells are to be drilled in 2005.
Yemen
DNO ASA, Oslo, looks forward to starting production as early as May 2005 from Nabrajah field on Block 43 in the Masila basin.
The Nabrajah-3 well flowed at a maximum rate of 2,200 b/d of oil from Cretaceous Upper Qishn sandstone at 1,696-1,709 m. The test also yielded water, and the company was running logs to determine the source of the water.
DNO planned to test Upper Qishn S1 sandstone at 1,670-76 m.
The Nabrajah-1 discovery well flowed 1,973 b/d of oil and 375 b/d of water earlier this year. After successful testing of Nabrajah-2, DNO estimated gross proved and probable reserves at 20 million bbl of oil.
Block 43 interests are DNO 56.67%, Oil Search Ltd. of Australia 28.33%, and TYC of Yemen a 15% carried interest.
DNO now holds interests in Blocks 32, 43, 44, 53, and 72 in Yemen and operates all except Block 53.
California
Venoco Inc., Carpinteria, Calif., and Output Exploration LLC reported a discovery in the Sacramento basin on one of six drilling prospects identified on 3D seismic data acquired in 2001-02.
Roaring River 20-1, in Solano County north of Van Sickle Island gas field, went on production at a restricted 700 Mcfd of gas at 2,300 psi tubing pressure. It penetrated more than 80 ft of Eocene Domengine sandstone and several shallower sands (OGJ, Jan. 26, 1998, p. 102).
Initial estimate is for 9 bcf of gas in place. Nearby field recovery rates are 75% of the gas in place, Venoco said. The well did not completely penetrate Domengine because of drilling difficulties.
New York
The state sought proposals by Dec. 21, 2004, and Aug. 18, 2005, for gas and oil exploration and production demonstration projects for which it would share costs with operators.
The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority would award up to $75,000/project for resource characterization studies that use innovative technologies such as remote sensing, aeromagnetics, or seismic or geologic modeling to identify prospects in oil or gas-bearing formations and complete focused geological studies.
Nyserda would award up to $100,000/project for prospect development projects that identify and develop specific reservoirs with the goal of leasing, testing, and developing a reservoir. Such projects could also demonstrate a production technology to improve well yield.