By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 27 -- The first deepwater oil discovery off India's east coast is a Cretaceous find that the Reliance-Niko combine said opens a new petroleum province in the D6 block, Krishna-Godavari basin.
MA-1, the companies' first Cretaceous test on the block, went to TD 3,783 m and penetrated 26 m of net oil pay and 72 m of net gas pay.
The oil zone tested at more than 6,700 b/d of oil and 10.96 MMscfd of gas on a 64/64-in. choke with 1,366 psig of flowing wellhead pressure.
The upper rich gas zone tested at more than 32 MMscfd of gas and 3,370 b/d of condensate on an 80/64-in. choke with 1,609 psig pressure. Both test rates were restricted by equipment limits. Well tests and coring results indicate excellent reservoir properties.
Reliance Industries Ltd., Mumbai, operates Block D6 with 90% interest.
Extensive areas of the block have Cretaceous oil prospectivity, said 10% interest holder Niko Resources Ltd., Calgary. Reliance-Niko will spud the MB-1 well in early July structurally higher and 11 km east of MA-1.
"MB-1 is ideally located to test geologic models which indicate the D6 Block is optimally positioned for encountering high quality Cretaceous reservoirs," Niko said.
