Argentina
Apco Oil & Gas International Inc., Tulsa, plans capital spending of $66 million in 2013 compared with outlays of $54.4 million last year. The 2012 expenditures went mainly for development and exploratory drilling in Argentina's Neuquen basin and exploratory drilling in Colombia.
The company plans to participate in the drilling of 48 gross wells in 2013 compared with 37 in 2012.
The 2013 capital program will focus on development and exploration in the Neuquen basin, unconventional exploratoration in the Neuquen basin, and continued exploration and field development in Colombia, where Apco's first two wells resulted in discoveries in 2012.
Apco said its efforts to explore the Vaca Muerta shale in Argentina have met with positive but modest results to date and indicate that the formation is capable of production. Apco will further target the Vaca Muerta in 2013 on its Coiron Amargo block and said "understanding the potential of this resource will take persistence and perseverance by all companies."
Azerbaijan
Greenfields Petroleum Corp., Houston, and other partners in Bahar Energy Ltd. have approved a 3D seismic survey for Gum Deniz oil field in Azerbaijan based on 2D seismic results and the start of the development drilling program. It will be the first 3D seismic to be shot in the field. Acquisition is to start in mid-2013 after approvals have been obtained.
Meanwhile Bahar, in which Greenfields owns a 33.33% interest, drilled Gum Deniz Well 715 on Platform 2 to 3,491 m TVD, and initial analysis of open hole wireline logs indicates the well encountered 159 m of potential pay in 11 zones. Pressure measurements were taken after which 7-in. liner was to be set for completion. Gross 2013 production through February averaged 3,215 boe/d.
Brazil
Brazil's ANP has extended for 4 years the second exploration period for 10 of the 21 blocks held by HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA, Rio de Janeiro, in the southern and eastern Solimoes basin of Brazil. The extension applies to the SOL-T-151, 174, 196, 197, 192, 214, 215, 216, 217, and 218 blocks.
HRT, which is exploring the blocks with partner TNK-Brasil, said the extension "is aligned with our strategy to expand the exploratory campaign to the southern and eastern blocks, towards where we are acquiring seismic data, as well as preparing rigs to drill."
Ecuador
The consortium led by Pardaliservices SA plans to spud Secoya-44, the first of five new production wells, in Libertador oil field in mid-March, said Canacol Energy Ltd., Calgary, which has a 25% working interest. The well will target proven undeveloped oil reserves in the U and T sandstones.
Meanwhile, the group has reworked three wells and plans to recomplete nine more production wells by yearend.
Malta
Genel Energy PLC has completed the acquisition of 75% of Mediterranean Oil & Gas PLC's shareholding in Phoenicia Energy Co. Ltd., which owns exploration rights to Area 4 offshore southeast of Malta.
Consideration is an immediate $10 million cash payment, a full carry of the cost of Hagar Qim-1, the first exploratory well, and a full carry of the cost of a second exploratory well up to a maximum of $30 million gross expenditure.
Hagar Qim-1, to be operated by Mediterranean Oil & Gas, is planned to be drilled to a minimum depth of 2,500 m starting in late 2013 (see map, OGJ, Feb. 13, 2006).
Norway
TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. is to start two multiclient 3D seismic surveys in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.
The Finnmark Platform 2013 survey covers 3,500 sq km and the Hoop to Fingerdjupet survey covers 8,600 sq km. Both are in areas of complex geology and are designed to address specific customer imaging requirements. The HF13 survey will also tie-in TGS's Hoop 3D area in the east.
TGS will process data from both surveys using its patented broadband processing technology. Initial data will be available to clients in the third quarter of 2013.
The FP 13 survey is to begin in March 2013 and will be acquired by the M/V Geo Barents towing eight streamers. The HF13 survey is scheduled to commence in early second quarter 2013 and will be acquired by the M/V Oceanic Challenger with 12 streamers.
Poland
Polish Oil & Gas Co. has started up the Winna Gora gas production facility at the rate of 1.5 MMcfd on the 850,000-acre Fences concession in Poland's Permian basin, said FX Energy Inc., Salt Lake City, which has a 49% interest in the concession.
PGNiG is drilling the Mieczewo-1K exploratory well below 2,000 m. The well is a planned test of a Rotliegend structure at a projected 3,360 m on the western part of the Fences concession.
Meanwhile, FX Energy has drilled the Tuchola-3K well to the Zechstein formation at 2,583 m just above the projected Ca2/Main dolomite target reservoir. The firm will run logs and set casing before coring into the Main dolomite. There it will drillstem test the top 10-15 m if the Main dolomite has gas shows and apparent porosity.
The Tuchola-3K well is planned to test the Main dolomite target and an independent Devonian oil target at 3,180-3,820 m. The Tuchola-3K well is on one of four blocks that comprise FX Energy's 100% owned, 880,000-acre Edge concession in northern Poland.
Tunisia
Oil Search Ltd., Sydney, spudded the Semda-1 exploratory well on the eastern part of the Tajerouine production-sharing contract in northern Tunisia.
The Semda prospect is 150 km southwest of Tunis. The primary oil objectives, which are of Cretaceous age, are Aptian Serdj dolomites, Barremian bed bars, and Sidi Aich clastics. Deeper gas objectives are also present.
The well's planned depth is 3,500 m, and it is expected to take 60 days to drill. Oil Search Tunisia Ltd. has 100% interest in the block.
Ukraine
Kulczyk Oil Ventures Inc., Calgary, said its 70% owned KUB-Gas LLC subsidiary has spudded the Olgovskoye-15 directional well in Ukraine.
O-15 is projected to 3,200 m to evaluate the potential of the Bashkirian R30c and Serpukhovian S5 reservoir sands to further develop Olgovskoye field. Kulczyk expects 70 days of drilling time. The Olgovskoye production license is in northeastern Ukraine 160 km northwest of Lugansk.
Since KOV acquired its ownership interest in KUB-Gas in June 2010, five Olgovskoye gas wells have been tied into commercial production and two wells, O-6 and O-8, were fracture stimulated in the fourth quarter of 2011.
O-6 was connected in February 2012 at a gross 1.5 MMcfd and O-8 in March 2012 at a gross 1 MMcfd.
Gross production from the license averaged 11.42 MMcfd to KUB-Gas in February.
Newfoundland
Red Moon Potash Inc., St. John's, is conducting predrill planning, permitting, and procurement work towards a 2013 drill program for potash/salt in the Bay St. George basin onshore southwestern Newfoundland.
The company has tendered for a rig and applied to government regulators for approval. The 2002 Captain Cook-1 drill hole encountered 400 m of evaporites consisting of 240 m of anhydrite and 160 m of halite including an encouraging 5 gross m of potash grading up to 20.4% potassium oxide at a depth of 287 m.
Red Moon, spun off in 2012 from Vulcan Minerals Inc., will step out from that discovery hole to better understand the area's potash distribution. The company has an extensive seismic database to integrate new drill results and better define the distribution of the evaporite rocks that contain the potash beds.
The Bay St. George property lies in the Maritimes basin of Atlantic Canada that hosts the Sussex, NB, potash mine operated by Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan.
