Australia
Karoon Gas Australia Ltd., Mount Martha, Vic., let a contract to PGS Exploration Ltd. for an 840 sq km 3D survey by the Ramform Victory seismic vessel on its adjoining Browse basin permits WA-314-P and 315-P off Western Australia (OGJ, Oct. 17, 2005, p. 34).
Karoon has 100% of both permits. The results of a recent 2D survey on Karoon’s blocks, along with interpretation of aeromagnetic data, confirm the presence of large structures with geological similarity to Scott Reef and Brecknock.The 3D survey, to begin in November, is expected to aid in the delineation of targets for Karoon’s proposed exploration program in 2006.
Gabon
The ministry awarded a subsidiary of Vaalco Energy Inc., Houston, the 270,000-acre Mutamba Iroru G4-219 onshore permit.
The permit surrounds Shell-operated giant Gamba-Ivinga oil field and is on trend with Shell-Total operated supergiant Rabi-Kounga oil field 60 km to the north. The two fields and Vaalco-operated Etame field offshore all produce from Gamba and Dentale sandstones.
Kazakhstan
Big Sky Energy Corp., Calgary, started production from its Karatal Block on the Caspian Sea north shore.
It placed Well 6, reentered and worked over earlier this year, on production at 100 b/d of oil from a Jurassic formation at 591-596 m.
The company mobilized a rig on the block and plans to drill new wells and rework others.
Well 30 is to spud within 15 days and go to TD 800 m to test Cretaceous and Jurassic sediments. Big Sky identified this and other locations on 2D seismic data acquired earlier this year.
Syria
Emerald Energy PLC, London, acquired for $16.9 million from Soyuzneftegas Ltd. of Russia a 50% participating interest in Block 26 with operator Gulfsands Petroleum PLC, London.
The 11,000-sq-km block in northeasternmost Syria surrounds oil fields that produce more than 85,000 b/d of 20-26° gravity, high sulfur oil from Cretaceous limestone reservoirs. The block has potential in deeper Paleozoic horizons. The fields include Souedie, Syria’s largest.
Minimum work program to be completed by August 2007 includes reprocessing of existing seismic data, acquisition of 500 line-km of new seismic data, and drilling four wells, two of which must test Paleozoics.
Gulfsands has defined 27 leads and prospects, is acquiring 1,170 line-km of seismic data, and plans to drill at least 2 exploration wells in 2006.
Alberta
Habanero Resources Inc., Vancouver, BC, independent, took an unspecified equity interest in an undisclosed private company that controls more than 10,000 acres in the Peace River oil sands region.
The lands had 111.3 million bbl of possible and probable recoverable resources at Sept. 1, 2005, according to consulting engineers DeGolyer & MacNaughton, Dallas. The lands are close to infrastructure, including a pipeline, and have a likely supply of condensate for blending.
The private company plans to apply to the Energy & Utilities Board in the first quarter of 2006 to build a pilot plant and will drill 2 wells and collect 3D seismic data to reassess the deposit’s size and extent.
New Brunswick
Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax, completed nine frac jobs that transported more than a combined 300 tons of sand proppant into the Mississippian Hiram Brook formation in 4 wells in McCully gas field near Sussex.
Tests will be conducted in the next few weeks, but the fracs on the C-67, G-67, O-66, and K-57 wells appear to have been technically successful, Corridor said. Frac equipment is returning to Alberta.
After drilling McCully B-58 underbalanced with nitrogen to 2,500 m in the Hiram Brook formation, the rig will drill the D-57 well directionally from the O-66 well pad. Bottomhole location is to be 600 m east of the surface.
B-58 is the field’s 12th well, all 11 earlier wells having encountered gas.
Newfoundland
Vulcan Minerals Inc., St. John’s, let a contract with Aeroquest Ltd. to acquire 400 line-km of high-resolution airborne magnetic data over Vulcan’s entire holdings in the Bay St. George basin.
The magnetic data will aid conventional exploration in the basin and enhance structural interpretation of the St. George coal fields that are being assessed for their coalbed methane potential, the company said.
Vulcan plugged its Hurricane-1 wildcat that had gas shows over a 300-m gross interval, saying this indicates that the petroleum system extends at least 15 km south of the Flat Bay oil discovery. It moved the rig 3 km west to test the Fischells Brook conglomerate in an updip portion of the 100 sq km Hurricane structure.
Kentucky
NGAS Resources Inc., Lexington, averaged 5.2 MMcfed of production in the quarter ended Sept. 30, when it completed a 23-mile, 8-in. pipeline to Leatherwood field in Harlan, Leslie, Letcher, Perry counties.
As Leatherwood field wells are connected, net daily production could reach 7 MMcfed by the end of 2005, the company said. Realized natural gas price averaged $8.05/Mcf in the 9 months ended Sept. 30.
Louisiana
Gulfport Energy Corp., Oklahoma City, operator of East Hackberry and West Cote Blanche Bay fields, set 2006 capital spending of $45-60 million.
The company’s net production from West Cote Blanche Bay field as of Sept. 21, before Hurricane Rita, was 2,026 b/d of oil and 2 MMcfd of gas, including 570 b/d and 1.093 MMcfd from 9 new wells and 9 recompletions since March 2005.
Gulfport Energy completed acquisition of a 42-sq-mile 3D seismic survey to identify undrilled fault blocks in East Hackberry field. The company plans to start drilling on that data in the second quarter of 2006. East Hackberry production was 272 b/d and 168 Mcfd as of Sept. 21.
Facilities in both fields sustained hurricane damage and are being returned to service in late 2005.
