By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 26 -- Amerada Hess Corp. continues to find oil off West Africa. The company reported Tuesday that its G-13 wildcat well drilled on Block G in the Rio Muni basin off Equatorial Guinea encountered 251 ft of net oil pay over a 963 ft interval.
Amerada Hess drilled the well in the southern part of the block 10 miles south of Ceiba field. Wireline sampling recovered 34-37° API oil and indicated good reservoir characteristics. The well lies in 3,284 ft of water, and its TD was 13,737 ft. After technical review and evaluation, Amerada Hess said it would drill an appraisal well in 2003 that also will explore deeper objectives.
"This well in the southern toe thrust is an important discovery in a previously undrilled area of Block G that may be a significant new oil fairway," said Brian Maxted, senior vice-president of global exploration. "We will appraise this discovery in 2003 after drilling exploration wells on several other prospects (on) Block G and adjacent Block F."
Amerada Hess is operator has an 85% working interest in both Blocks G and F. Its partner in the blocks is Energy Africa Ltd. of South Africa, which has the remaining 15% working interest. The government of Equatorial Guinea has a carried 5% interest in Ceiba field production and will have a carried 5% participating interest in any production from this discovery in southern Block G.
In early September Amerada Hess said it struck pay in the eastern portion of Elon field on Block G in 165 ft of water, encountering 316 ft of net oil pay in a single, continuous column and confirming the Elon G-8 discovery reported earlier this year (OGJ Online, June 19, 2002). Elon field is15 miles northeast of Amerada Hess's Ceiba field and 6 miles southeast of the Akom discovery made in late February.
Both successful appraisals increases the areal extent and size of Elon field and will be incorporated into the development plan for Okuume, Oveng, Ebano, Akom, and Abang fields that Amerada Hess will submit to the Equatorial Guinea government for approval.
