Area Drilling

Aug. 2, 1999
Tanzania
Canop Worldwide Corp., Calgary, let a contract to Polaris International Explorer Ltd., Calgary, for geophysical acquisition in Tanzania. Canop plans to conduct a 3D seismic program over portions of the Rufiji trough.

Tanzania
Canop Worldwide Corp., Calgary, let a contract to Polaris International Explorer Ltd., Calgary, for geophysical acquisition in Tanzania. Canop plans to conduct a 3D seismic program over portions of the Rufiji trough.

Tunisia
Centurion Energy International Inc., Calgary, plans to file a development plan for Al Manzah field on the Cap Bon peninsula southeast of Tunis.

The Al Manzah 1 discovery well has produced more than 225,000 bbl of oil from Eocene Bou Dabbous without water at rates as high as 5,600 b/d. It is restricted to about 2,100 b/d of oil due to higher than expected gas production.

Most recent engineering data attribute 15 million bbl of primary proved plus probable reserves from as much as 75 million bbl of original oil in place. Centurion plans to drill two development wells as soon as a 3D seismic survey planned for third quarter is completed. It also plans to re-enter and deepen the Bel* 1A well about 400 m to test Cretaceous Abiod chalk.

Viet Nam
Anzoil NL, Perth, proclaimed its D24-1 well as a potential new gas field discovery on a separate structural/ stratigraphic trap partly underlying depleted Tien Hai gas field and close to Anzoil`s D14 gas discovery in the Hanoi basin.

Gas measurements obtained during drilling are the highest sustained gas shows observed in the basin, the operator said. The well was at 3,610 m in mid-July enroute to 3,640 m.

Quebec
Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax, Nova Scotia, has spudded the Truite River 1 wildcat on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec.

The 100%-owned Corridor well will evaluate an apparent Silurian age reef outlined by Corridor seismic surveys in 1997 and 1998. The test will be drilled to a planned depth of 3,461 ft. Corridor holds licenses in the Gaspe in the Gulf of St. Lawrence area covering more than 650,000 acres.

Gulf of Mexico
Marathon Oil Co. plans to spud a 21,000 ft deeper pool test at South Pass 87 field this month.

Objective is the V sand interval below existing field pays in the U sand, said participant Remington Oil & Gas Corp., Dallas.

Meanwhile, Marathon is producing the field`s D-9 and D-7 wells at capacity of 15 MMcfd of gas and 800 b/d of condensate each to observe wellbore and reservoir performance, Remington said.

Basin Exploration Inc., Denver, plans to start production in late 1999 from a discovery and appraisal well on Vermilion Block 83 using a refurbished four pile jacket and production deck.

The No. 1 discovery well encountered an estimated 35 net ft of pay in its primary objective, a Miocene aged sand below 8,800 ft true vertical depth. The No. 2 development well logged an estimated 16 net ft of pay downdip.

Alabama
Dominion Energy Inc., Richmond, Va., and River Gas Corp., Northport, Ala., plan to drill about 200 coalbed methane wells in the Black Warrior basin during the next three years.

The companies jointly acquired lease rights on more than 19,000 acres from Pittsburgh & Midway Coal Mining Co. Dominion and River Gas own and operate more than 530 CBM wells producing a combined 50 MMcfd in the 35,000 sq mile basin, where CBM output totals 315 MMcfd.

Mississippi
Penn Virginia Corp., Radnor, Pa., plans to start a drilling program this year in Gwinville gas field, Jefferson Davis County.

The company plans to re-map the field and shoot 2D or 3D seismic surveys to identify deeper potential. The company has identified 80 new locations, mainly in Cretaceous Selma chalk at about 6,900 ft.

Oklahoma
Benex Oil & Gas Co., Oklahoma City, revised the permitted depth of a deep wildcat being drilled in the Ouachita Province. The 1A Koi Chush, in 20-2s-12e, Atoka County, is permitted to 20,800 ft or zones as deep as Arbuckle. Drilling is below 16,000 ft, and the previous permit depth was 15,500 ft.

Texas

West
Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Corp., Oklahoma City, plans to spud offsets shortly to an Ellenburger discovery in the Val Verde basin.

The 3-4 Jones Ranch, Sutton County, on the Buckhorn prospect 10 miles northwest of Sonora, flowed 1.9 MMcfd of gas with 15 b/d of condensate from perforations at 7,995-8,000 ft. The company completed a 19 sq mile 3D seismic survey on the prospect last year. It is 15 miles from the nearest Ellenburger producing well.

The company had 54 successful completions in the Sonora area in the first half, most Canyon and Strawn infill wells, including 26 in the second quarter.

St. Clair Energy Corp., Midland, staked a remote wildcat in Culberson County.

The 1-33 Kunitz 5, 45 miles north of Van Horn, is projected to 9,500 ft. The drill site is on the Sierra Diablo platform, IHS Energy Group reported.

Santa Fe Snyder Corp., Houston, said production from Anton Irish Clear Fork Unit in West Texas should climb to 9,000 b/d of oil by 2000 from 7,500 b/d in mid-July.

The company boosted its interest in the unit, which is under carbon dioxide flooding, to 29.5% with an acquisition from Phillips Petroleum Co. in mid-July. The acquisition added about 5 million bbl of reserves.

Parallel Petroleum Corp. and Baytech Inc., both of Midland, formed First Permian LLC to acquire Fina Oil & Chemical Co.`s West Texas assets for $96 million. The main assets are 24 operated and five nonoperated properties containing 821 producing wells in the Permian basin.

North
Lewis Operating Co., Wichita Falls, staked a deeper pool test in Sadler field of the Marietta-Sherman basin.

The 1A Huff, in Grayson County 2 miles northwest of Sadler, is projected to 8,500 ft in an area productive from zones at 7,000 ft and shallower, IHS reported.

Southwest
The Exploration Co., San Antonio, gauged its ninth straight successful producing well in Prickly Pear field in the Maverick basin.

The 1-52 Paloma, in Maverick County, tested at rates as high as 2.1 MMcfd of gas with 1,825 psi FTP and 47 b/d of condensate from Cretaceous Glen Rose. Logs show it cut 80 ft of Glen Rose reef that appear to be gas productive.