Area Drilling

Egypt

AGIP SpA's IEOC Co. affiliate and Marathon Petroleum Egypt Ltd. plan to tie back a fault block discovery in Ashrafi field in the Gulf of Suez to the field platform.

The Ashrafi SW-1X, 1 mile southwest of the field, had 269 ft of net pay at 4,770-5,098 ft in Cretaceous Nubia sandstone and 73 ft of net pay across 5,098-5,561 ft in fractured granite basement. Marathon deferred testing Nubia until well completion.

Ashrafi field, in 29 ft of water, began producing in 1992. Cumulative production is nearly 30 million bbl of oil, and present production averages 20,000 b/d.

Thailand

Thailand's Department of Mineral Resources and Beicip-Franlab, Rueil-Malmaison, France, completed a petroleum assessment of the Thai part of the Andaman Sea basin.

The study incorporates results from 16,000 km of seismic profiles and 12 wells, comprises a detailed analysis of lithostratigraphy, reservoir rocks, source rocks, hydrocarbon indications, and includes seismic mapping, basin modeling, and prospect inventory.

Ukraine

Ukrainian authorities are to release details of a coalbed methane feasibility study at a forthcoming but unspecified relevant symposium.

The study, conducted under the European Union's Technical Assistance to CIS (Tacis) program, is believed to point to sites in the Don coal basin near Donets. Gaz de France, Charbonnages de France, and Spain's Hulleras del Norte conducted the study.

Small and medium sized Ukrainian companies are carrying out small coalbed methane projects, the study said.

One conclusion points to the need for a legal status to build investor confidence and the fixing of a price for exported coalbed methane. As a benchmark, Russian natural gas is sold to clients at about $80/thousand cu m ($2.62/Mcf).

Alaska

BP Exploration expects to let a contract soon to the Northern Geophysical unit of 3-D Geophysical, Inc., Englewood, Colo., for $7.5-9.5 million in North Slope seismic surveys this winter.

The contract adds to shallow water work the contractor is doing for BP this summer near Prudhoe Bay field (OGJ, June 17, 1996, p. 30).

Louisiana

Belco Oil & Gas Corp., New York, plans offsets soon to two horizontal Cretaceous Austin chalk producing wells in south central Louisiana.

One recent completion may be the world's deepest horizontal producing well, Belco said.

The 1-21 Turner et al. in St. Landry Parish flowed at rates of 4,800 b/d of oil and 6 MMcfd of gas from Cretaceous Austin chalk at nearly 17,000 ft TVD. The flow came on a 20/64 in. choke with 6,800 psi FTP with no water.

Belco, with 100% working interest before payout and 77.5% working interest thereafter, holds leases on about 29,060 net acres on the prospect.

About 13.5 miles north in North Bayou Jack field of Avoyelles Parish, Belco reentered the 1A Roy O. Martin well, drilled as a Cretaceous Tuscaloosa test in the late 1970s. It later produced about 207,000 bbl of oil from an Austin chalk lateral more than 2,000 ft long (OGJ, July 6, 1992, p. 88).

Belco drilled a 3,900 ft lateral in Austin chalk at 15,333 ft TVD. Flow was 2,500 b/d of oil and 2.7 MMcfd of gas, no water, on a 1/2 in. choke with 1,000 psi FTP. Interests are similar to that on the 1 Turner, and Belco holds interests or options on about 34,880 net acres on the prospect.

North Dakota

Eagle Operating Inc., Kenmare, N.D., plans the first U.S. horizontal well in Cambrian in Newporte oil field, Petroleum Information reports.

It will reenter the 5-9 Duerre, in 5-163n-87w, Renville County, and drill a 1,000 ft lateral in Cambrian Deadwood. Newporte field is variously held to be an astrobleme or part of a wider ranging stratigraphic play (OGJ, July 22, 1996, p. 58).

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman, released the final report of the largest geochemical hydrocarbon exploration program carried out in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma.

The 37 page report sprang from Sohio Petroleum Co.'s late 1970s-late 1980s evaluation the oil and gas potential of Weyerhaeuser Co. timberlands. The company drilled five deep wildcats during the program.

The study compiles results of more than 2,000 TOC and 800 thermal maturity analyses of well cuttings, outcrops, and seismic shothole samples in order to evaluate the source rock potential and thermal maturity of a segment of the central overthrust belt. Limited oil and bitumen analyses are also briefly discussed.

The report said modeling suggests that hydrocarbon generation and migration were completed prior to the Broken Bow-Benton Uplift event for Lower Mississippian and older rocks.

Available separately are 51 internal company exploration briefs and technical memoranda covering 734 pages.

Washington

Hunt Oil Co. spudded the 1 State, in 36-13n-4e, Lewis County, on Aug. 14, notes Northwest Oil Report, Portland, Ore.

Projected TD is 15,000 ft. State drilling depth record is 17,518 ft. Information from the wildcat, in which Phillips Petroleum Co. has an interest, carries a 2 year confidentiality period.

The site is about 70 miles northeast of Mist gas field in Oregon and 60 miles south of Seattle.