By an OGJ Online Correspondent
LIMA, Mar. 7�Maple Production del Peru, a unit of Maple Gas Co. of the US, will soon begin exploration activities in Peru's Block 31-E in northern Ucayali basin.
Maple Production produces 150 b/d from Agua Caliente field in the adjacent Block 31-D.
Maple Production signed an exploration and production license for Block 31-E with Perupetro, the state oil agency, Mar. 6.
Rex Canon, Maple Production del Peru�s executive president, said the company will drill an exploration well in each of two structures in the 141,003-hectare block after running seismic.
Maple expects to spend $10 million on initial exploration.
The company also produces 388 b/d from the old Maquia field in Block 31-B and operates the 3,250 b/d Pucallpa oil refinery that formerly belonged to Petroperu. Maple acquired the fields and the refinery from Petroperu in March 1994.
