Western Australia
Australian researchers found evidence of a petroleum system in the Eyre sub-basin off Western Australia near the boundary with South Australia.
Fluorescing oil inclusions in part of a section of Callovian-Kimmeridgian reservoir sandstones from the Jerboa-1 well revealed the presence of a paleo-oil column at least 15 m thick, reports Australian Geological Survey Organisation.
An AGSO report has implications for companies interested in exploration permits in the Great Australian Bight area.
Ghana
Ghana Hunt Oil Co. was evaluating well data including 25°-gravity sweet crude from a noncommercial well off western Ghana in determining potential for further exploration on two blocks it holds.
The well, designed to test prospectivity of submarine fan systems off Ghana, cut a thin oil column in a sand at 9,160 ft deemed noncommercial at this location and in 2,934 ft of water.
Appalachian
Equitable Resources Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., expects to complete acquisition of Statoil Energy Inc.'s Appalachian basin production assets in first quarter 2000.
The assets comprise nearly 1.1 tcf of proved gas reserves and 6,500 gas wells in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio and are contiguous to Equitable's Appalachian properties.
The acquisition makes Equitable the basin's largest gas producer and more than doubles its Northeast US gas reserves from the present 930 bcfe in 6,100 gas and oil wells in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Louisiana
Meridian Resource Corp., Houston, plans more drilling this year at South Thornwell field in Jefferson Davis Parish.
The 1-33 Potter 33 flowed 17.48 MMcfd of gas with 540 b/d of oil through a 19/64 in. choke with 7,300 psi FTP from Oligocene Marg Idio perforations at 11,658-668 ft and 11,688-728 ft. Meridian, Manti Resources Inc., Enron North America Corp., and private investors hold working interests.
Wyoming
Tipperary Corp., Denver, acquired a 49% working interest from operator Barrett Resources Corp., Denver, in a Hanna basin coalbed methane exploration project.
Tipperary, which is restructuring and refocusing on coalbed methane, spent $850,000 in acquisition costs and plans to invest a further $1 million this year to drill and evaluate several pilot wells in the 38,000 acre area.
