New Caledonia
Victoria Petroleum NL, Perth, extended to 2,000 m the projected TD of a remote wildcat it is drilling in the West Coast basin on New Caledonia island.
Cadart-1 on the Gouaro anticline in central New Caledonia had been drilled past 1,787 m by early January 2000.
Main reservoir objectives are Paleocene fractured cherts, Middle Eocene basal sand units of middle to late Eocene flysch, and Cretaceous sandstones.
Philippines
The Department of Energy issued rights to a 514,000-acre block on southern Cebu Island and in the Tanon Strait to E.F. Durkee & Associates Inc., Manila.
Durkee will carry out surface geochemical surveys on parts of the area for Pacrim Energy and certain US interests. The block lies in the Visayan basin.
New Mexico
Playa Minerals & Energy Inc., Denver, is boosting oil production from Horseshoe Gallup/Northeast Hogback Unit, purchased in mid-1999 from Central Resources Inc., Denver.
Remedial work hiked production to 280 b/d from 87 wells in mid-December from nine wells making 30 b/d when Playa assumed operations Aug. 1. Playa hopes to drill as many as 208 wells the next several years. The first new well cut more than 60 ft of pay sand in Cretaceous Upper and Lower Gallup sands above 2,375 ft.
The property covers 24,000 acres in San Juan County 20 miles northwest of Farmington. Outside engineers give the field reserves of 7.7 million bbl, mostly proved undeveloped.
Playa is negotiating to buy the rest of Central's properties in the basin, with closing expected by Jan. 31.
