Australia
Magellan Petroleum Australia Ltd. said a third party has agreed to pay $300,000 (Aus.) for additional seismic data, acquired during September 2000, on 670,000-acre exploration permit ATP 613P in the Maryborough basin in southeastern Queensland.
The third party has an option to drill a well, depending on the seismic results, to earn 50% interest in the permit.
Magellan has applied to renew ATP 613P and to license adjoining ATP 674P.
India
The government plans to offer 25-30 blocks in its upcoming exploration licensing round, including some coalbed methane prospects.
The round, the second under India's New Exploration Licensing Policy, will be launched in December (OGJ Online, Nov. 1, 2000). Petroleum Minister Ram Naik told the consultative committee of Parliament for his ministry that the round would include both onshore and offshore areas, including deepwater blocks off the east and west coasts.
Namibia
The Ministry of Mines & Energy issued V/O Zarubezhgeologia of Russia a 2-year reconnaissance license on 6 blocks in the Walvis basin.
The Russian firm was to spend almost $3 million surveying blocks 2011, 2012, 2013, 2111, 2112, and 2113.
The ministry and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources also signed a letter of intent aimed at providing a framework for ongoing and future cooperative minerals and energy activities.
Venezuela
A Phillips-Arco group was assessing strategy earlier this year after drilling two noncommercial wells in 1999-2000 in the La Vela embayment in the Caribbean Sea off northwestern Venezuela and east of the Paraguana Peninsula.
LVC-28X tested oil at good flow rates judged insufficient to justify stand-alone development, said Fletcher Challenge Energy, 27% interest holder.
LVC-29X established the presence of gas in basement and the Cauderalito limestone and was later sidetracked and directionally drilled into a potentially oil-bearing target found to contain very low permeability with oil shows but no producible hydrocarbons. It was abandoned.
The field is comprised of several geologic structures that contain known producible hydrocarbons, FCE said.
California
A group led by Berkley Petroleum Corp. suspended drilling and set 7 in. production casing to 17,650 ft at a well at East Lost Hills in the San Joaquin basin.
The 2 East Lost Hills penetrated about 1,250 ft of the Temblor formation. Berkley ran a full log suite at 14,250-17,650 ft and pulled 17 sidewall core plugs. Berkley drilled numerous lost circulation zones during Oct. 18-Nov. 9 and flared gas for several hours Oct. 31.
The participants agreed to drill as much as 250 ft deeper and call TD and run 41/2 in. liner if they encounter prospective zones.
"The decision to drill ahead is based on the joint venture participants' assessment that for relatively low incremental cost important information for the overall East Lost Hills Temblor Play could be gained without compromising existing penetrated gas zones," Berkley said.
Iowa
Kinderhook Oil & Gas Co., Des Moines, plans to drill next year in the Forest City basin. The company hopes to drill in June 2001 east of Shambaugh in southeastern Page County.
Kinderhook, a private company with oil production in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, has almost 3,000 acres under lease in southwestern Iowa. It is targeting the shallow formations that produce oil in Atchison County, Mo., and elsewhere in the basin.
Louisiana
Southwestern Energy Co., Fayetteville, Ark., plans to hook up a discovery in Lafayette Parish around yearend.
The 1 Robertson stabilized at 7 MMcfd of gas with 245 b/d of condensate from Nodosaria at about 14,500 ft. TD is 16,850 ft MD.
Working interests are Southwestern and BTA Oil Producers each 27.5% and Edge Petroleum Corp. and National Fuel Gas Co. each 22.5%. Deeper objectives were wet but remain prospective higher on the structure and in a separate fault block on the same feature, Edge said.
New York
The state solicited proposals by Jan. 16, 2001, for projects that would demonstrate application of advanced technology and-or geological analysis to 5 less-explored formations on its soil. Projects could qualify for up to $75,000 in state funds.
The formations: Devonian and Ordovician shales, Trenton/Black River Groups, Beekmantown, Herkimer/Oneida, and Cambrian Theresa/Postdam.
Eligible project types include specific kinds of geologic characterization studies, projects to develop specific reservoir targets, or a combination.