Australia
Apache Energy Ltd., Perth, in partnership with Nexus Energy Ltd., Melbourne, discovered three gas zones in its Grayling-1A wildcat in the Gippsland basin off Victoria.
The Grayling prospect is on Vic/P54 updip, on trend, and 8 km northeast of ExxonMobil/BHP Billiton's Turrum oil and gas field.
Although disappointed not to find an oil column, the joint venture said the discovery has confirmed the viability of the Cretaceous Golden Beach formation sands that underlie the Tertiary-Late Cretaceous Latrobe Group reservoirs that are the most important producing zones in the region.
Apache elected not to test the three gas zones, which were interpreted from pressure measurement and sampling. The top zone lay in the Intra Latrobe at 2,069-77 m MD. Below that gas was also detected in the Golden Beach at 2,571-2,617 m and 2,617-2,638 m.
The Grayling find is in the same permit as Apache's earlier confirmation of gas in Longtom field and is likely to bolster the outlook for any future development. The joint venture plans to continue appraising Longtom over the next few months.
Apache operates the permit with 62.5% interest, and Nexus has 37.5%.
New Brunswick
Two wells in McCully field near Sussex, NB, have produced more than 1.1 bcf of gas and are making a combined 2 MMcfd at sustained average wellhead pressures of 1,500 psi, said Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax.
The northwest flank of McCully field has 119 bcf of proved and probable reserves, the company said.
Corridor is negotiating a farmout that would result in further development of McCully, and a second interested party is reviewing field data and might make a farmout proposal.
Texas-Gulf Coast
Brigham Exploration Co., Austin, discovered Appling Deep (Frio) field in Calhoun County.
The 3 Sartwelle was turned to sales at 1.9 MMcfd of gas and 530 b/d of oil with 4,490 psi FTP. The well had 82 ft of net pay in Upper and Lower Frio and was perforated in 32 ft of the net pay at 10,000-336 ft.
Working interests are Brigham 75% and Royale Energy Inc., San Diego, and its drilling participants 25%.
The well was the first on a 1,400-acre structure that produced nearly 400 bcfe from the same complex in the shallow Frio section.
It is part of a 200 sq mile 3D seismic project by the two companies in the area. The first development well is to be spud in March.