Australia
A Texaco Inc. group revealed two gas discoveries in the northern Carnarvon basin off Western Australia.
Iago-1 was drilled to TD 11,100 ft in 387 ft of water. Logs and formation tests confirmed hydrocarbons in the Triassic Mungaroo. The well was plugged Jan. 3.
Io-1 went to TD 9,941 ft in 4,436 ft of water. It was plugged Jan. 14.
Iago-1 on exploration permit WA-25-P and Io-1 on permit WA-267-P follow the discoveries Geryon and Orthrus in 1999 and Urania, Maenad, and Jansz last year by Texaco and its partners in the same area adjacent to giant Gorgon gas field.
Texaco said the finds "add to the resources of the greater Gorgon gas fields and to the potential viability of a future commercial project off the coast of Australia."
Partners are operator Chevron Australia Pty. Ltd., Mobil Australia Resources Co. Pty. Ltd., and Shell Development (Australia) Pty. Ltd. BP Exploration (Alpha) Ltd. participates in WA-267-P only.
Equatorial Guinea
Triton Energy Ltd., Dallas, is acquiring a 25% interest in Block L, where operator Chevron is running a 1,500 sq km 3D seismic survey.
Block L, in 1,300-6,500 ft of water, contains a northern extension of the deepwater Cretaceous toe thrust fairway north of Triton's Ceiba oil field in the Rio Muni basin (see map, OGJ, May 29, 2000, p. 43). The first well is to spud by year-end 2002.
Triton's share of the 1 million acre block brings its Gulf of Guinea holdings to 3.7 million gross acres. It holds adjacent blocks F and G to the south and the Tolo and Otiti blocks off Gabon.
Netherlands
Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. said its subsidiary Clyde Petroleum Exploratie BV has brought Dutch North Sea Q4-A gas field on stream via a recently renovated platform.
The Canadian major said it believed this is the first time in the 30-year history of the region that a field had been produced using a "completely refurbished" installation.
Well Q4-9, which opened the field in July 1999, was flowing 48.5 MMcfd of gas, with production shipped via the Clyde operated P6-A processing facilities. Two development wells, Q4-A2 and Q4-A3, were being drilled and are scheduled to be brought online in the second quarter.
Clyde said Q4-B field, discovered in 1998 and 7 km southeast of Q4-A, would be developed via the platform, with first gas expected in second half 2002.
Norway
Statoil AS was evaluating an oil and gas discovery on production license 202 in the Barents Sea North Cape basin.
While Statoil took 100 core samples and extensive logs, Statoil Sector Manager Erik Henriksen said it is still too early to comment on recoverable volumes. The company continued tests and said it will analyze the data before deciding whether to drill appraisal wells.
Production license 202 includes blocks 7227/11-12 and 7228/7-10 and was awarded to Statoil in Norway's 14B licensing round in September 1993.
Interests are Statoil and Amerada Hess Corp. 25% each, the state's direct financial interest (SDFI) 30%, and Norsk Hydro AS 20%.
Venezuela
Norwegian energy giant Statoil AS rejected plans to become operator of Intercampo oilfield in Lake Maracaibo after a China National Petroleum Co. wildcat encountered insufficient hydrocarbons to warrant further testing.
Statoil had the option to take 60% of Intercampo if drilling results had proved positive (OGJ, Jan. 15, 2001, p. 36).
Prince Edward Island
The development and technology ministry launched the province's first call for bids for oil and gas licenses.
Bids will be received by Feb. 28 for a 35,664 ha parcel between St. Peter's Bay and Cardigan Bay in eastern PEI. The tract adjoins a block on which Meteor Creek Resources Inc., Toronto, is drilling an exploratory well (OGJ, Jan. 15, 2001, p. 36).
Licenses do not convey property rights. Licenses were formerly granted on a first come, first served basis.
Illinois
Miller Exploration Co., Traverse City, Mich., acquired 23,000 acres in southern Illinois to evaluate gas in Pennsylvanian aged coals.
Miller, with 100% working interest, applied for permits for two test wells and could drill as many as seven wells in first half 2001.
The play, in its infancy, could offer low risk drilling opportunities and large reserve potential, the company said.
Louisiana
Southwestern Energy Co., Fayetteville, Ark., was spudding a development well near an indicated discovery in Assumption Parish.
The 1 State Lease 16626 on the Malone prospect cut a combined 260 ft of gas pay five productive Miocene sands. TD is 15,798 ft.
Interests are Southwestern 33.33%, Petro-Hunt LLC, Dallas, 50%, and Century Royalty LLC 16.67%.
Texas
Gulf Coast
Esenjay Exploration Inc., Houston, gauged a discovery in Live Oak County on the Wilcox trend.
The 3 Riser flowed 3.8-4.2 MMcfd of gas from 13,073-080 ft in the fourth sand of Third Tom Lyne after frac, and it flowed 9.7 MMcfd without stimulation from 12,967-979 ft and 12,984-990 ft in the third sand of Third Tom Lyne with 5,000 psi FTP on a 16/64 in. choke.
Deliveries were to reach 7-10 MMcfd with the zones commingled. TD is 13,186 ft. The well is in the company's 32 sq mile Mikeska 3D seismic project.
Esenjay was to drill two more wells to test geopressured fault blocks in Wilcox, one at the Hall Ranch 3D area in Karnes County and the other at the Hordes Creek 3D area in Goliad County.
East
Comstock Resources Inc., Frisco, Tex., plans to operate two rigs continuously this year to drill 20 prospects in and around Double A Wells field in Polk County, where it drilled 11 successful wells during 2000.
The latest completion, the 1AA Jackson extension well, made 8.9 MMcfd of gas with 696 b/d of condensate, natural, on a 16/64 in. choke with 7,500 psig FTP from Cretaceous Upper Woodbine at 13,873-899 ft.