Puffin well extends Timor Sea oil sand formation

Nov. 6, 2008
China's Sinopec and AED Oil Ltd., Melbourne, flowed 3,600 b/d of oil on test of their latest Puffin field appraisal well, drilled on Permit AC/P22 in the Timor Sea.

Rick Wilkinson
OGJ Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Nov. 6 -- China's Sinopec and AED Oil Ltd., Melbourne, flowed 3,600 b/d of oil on test of their latest Puffin field appraisal well, drilled on Permit AC/P22 in the Timor Sea. The well also flowed gas at a rate of 120 cf/bbl of crude.

Preliminary results assessment indicates that the reservoir sands in Puffin-11 confirm and extend the presence of the oil sand formation intersected by Puffin-10 drilled last year.

AED says the new reservoir is separate from, and adds to, the other yet-to-be developed sandstone reservoirs in the Puffin Southwest region.

Geological and engineering data indicates that the two main Upper Cretaceous sequences of the 25 m thick oil-bearing interval in Puffin-11 contribute to the oil flow and that the 43-45° API oil is of quality similar to oil produced elsewhere in Puffin field.

The reservoir sand is seen to be highly permeable, and, as the test flow was constrained by the capacity of the flare stack, production flows could exceed 10,000 b/d.

Puffin-11 is now being suspended, and the Wilcraft jack up will be moved to the Northeast sector of the field to drill Puffin-12.

Sinopec has 60% interest and AED the remaining 40%.