By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 4 -- Murphy Oil Corp. has temporarily plugged and abandoned its Thunder Ridge exploration well on Mississippi Canyon Block 737 in the Gulf of Mexico.
The primary objectives found wet sands, with a secondary shallower objective encountering a small oil accumulation. The exploration well and subsequent sidetrack were drilled in over 6,100 ft of water.
Post-drilling analysis will continue to determine if the resource found can be commercially viable as a tieback to another facility. Thunder Ridge lies close to the company's recently sanctioned Thunder Hawk development, which will include a stand-alone semisubmersible floating production unit that is scheduled for installation in late 2008 to accommodate the expected start of oil production in 2009.
Murphy owns a 37.5% working interest in the field and serves as operator. Partners are Dominion Exploration & Production Inc. 25%, Hydro Gulf of Mexico LLC 25%, and Marubeni Corp. subsidiary Marubeni Offshore Production (USA) Inc. 12.5%.
