Algeria
A group led by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. will resume exploration in east-central Algeria under an amended production sharing agreement with state-owned Sonatrach. The agreement concerns blocks 404, 208, and 211.
Under terms of the three-phase exploration program, Anadarko and its partners will spend at least $55 million. During the first 5 years they will acquire and process 400 sq km of 3D seismic and 1,100 km of 2D seismic, reprocess existing seismic data, and drill six exploration wells.
Seismic acquisition is to start this year and exploration drilling probably next year. If options for years 6-7 are exercised, an additional well will be drilled each year.
Anadarko Algeria Corp. is operator with 50% interest. Its partners are Lasmo PLC unit Lasmo Oil (Algeria) Ltd., and Maersk Olie Algeriet AS, a unit of Maersk Olie og Gas AS, Denmark. Lasmo and Maersk Olie each hold 25% interest.
Exploration under Anadarko's original PSA ended in 1998 after discovery of nearly 2.8 billion bbl of oil in 12 new fields among 20 wildcats.
Indonesia
A test of a cased interval at 6,466-6,488 ft flowed at a stabilized 2,800 b/d of oil on a 1-in. choke. Cliff Zeliff, Gulf Indonesia exploration vice-president, said the test program validates the company's plans already developed for the area.
Gulf Indonesia holds 50% interest in the Ketapang PSC and is operator for Pertamina, the Indonesian state oil company. Gulf's partner is Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn. Bhd. with 50%.
Ivory Coast
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Calgary, said its Ranger Oil Cote d'Ivoire SARL unit found oil on Block CI-40 about 8 km south of idle Espoir oil field in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Baobab 1X well, drilled to 3,074 m TD in 1,484 m of water, found oil in the Albian. Two drill stem tests were performed on selected intervals. The combined stabilized flow rate exceeded 6,700 b/d of 22-23°-gravity crude with a GOR of 290-320 scf/bbl. The well will be suspended while appraisal plans are formulated.
The government awarded the block under a production-sharing contract in April 1998. Ranger is operator with 61%, Svenska Petroleum Exploration Production AB has 29%, and Petroci Holding has 10%.
Malaysia
The Sabah unit of Murphy Oil Corp., El Dorado, Ark., took a farmout of Esso Exploration & Production Sabah Ltd.'s 80% holding in Block H off Sabah.
Murphy Sabah will operate the deepwater block, with the remaining 20% interest held by Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd.
Block H is contiguous with and shoreward of roughly the eastern half of Murphy-Petronas Block K. Murphy will soon start a phased 3D seismic program to supplement existing 2D seismic data on the block. Drilling will begin later this year.
On Block G shoreward of the western half of Block K, the Saba Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. and Petronas Kamunsu East-1 discovery cut thick gas pay with oil indications in stacked sandstones below 7,750 ft. Findings indicate a commercial deposit, said Saba Shell of the 1999 discovery in 2,417 ft of water 16 km north of Kebabangan gas field (OGJ, May 31, 1999, p. 72).
At 4.1 million acres, undrilled Block K is the largest block Malaysia has awarded.
Mauritania
Fusion Oil & Gas PLC, Perth, plans to begin drilling two wells off Africa's west coast in early April, the group said in a trading statement.
Joint venture partners Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and AGIP reached agreement to bear costs of the two wells.
Chinguetti-1 well will target the prospect now named Khede, and Courbine-1 will target the Courbine prospect and test secondary targets in the Tertiary section.
A January 2001 DeGolyer and MacNaughton report showed estimated mean nonrisked reserves in the primary objectives of 180 and 216 million bbl for the Khede and Courbine prospects, respectively.
Gulf of Mexico
Murphy Oil Corp., El Dorado, Ark., said an exploration well on its Front Runner prospect found more than 850 true vertical ft of pay.
The well went to TD 22,925 ft in 3,500 ft of water on Green Canyon Block 338. Once appraisal is complete to the north, the well will be sidetracked to the south to drill the Front Runner South prospect. Murphy estimated Front Runner contains a resource of 80 million-120 million boe. Interests are Murphy and Dominion Resources Inc. each 37.5% and Spinnaker Exploration Co., Houston, 25%.
Texas
Beta said it has amassed a large acreage position and will complete a test to the Cambro-Ordovician Arbuckle formation there this year.
Other major projects planned for 2001 include deeper targets on acreage in Jackson County, Tex., Brookshire Dome in Waller County, Tex., Greens Lake in Galveston Bay, Tex., and the Lafourche Parish prospect in South Louisiana.