By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 8 -- Noble Energy Inc., Houston, hiked its resource estimate 26% to 6.3 tcf after the Tamar appraisal well in the eastern Mediterranean off Israel “confirmed continuous high-quality reservoirs.”
However, the Noble Energy group may have to compete with LNG because Israel’s Natural Gas Authority last week published prequalification documents in connection with construction of an LNG receiving terminal by 2013. Noble Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles Davidson said the group’s focus is to ship Tamar gas to shore by 2012.
Tamar-2, in 5,530 ft of water on the flank of the structure 3.5 miles northeast of the Tamar-1 discovery well, considerably reduced the uncertainty in previous resource estimates, Noble Energy said. Total depth is 16,880 ft.
Tamar-2 found reservoir thickness and quality consistent with those at Tamar-1. It encountered the gas-water contact as projected in the middle reservoir and, as expected, no water contact was seen in the top reservoir.
Noble Energy obtained whole core samples in three reservoirs to assist in geologic and engineering studies needed for field development and retained a reservoir consulting firm to prepare an independent estimate of the discovered resource.
The 6.3 tcf figure is double the predrill resource estimate for the prospect (see map, OGJ, Oct. 6, 2008, p. 41).
Noble Energy said the Tamar and Dalit discoveries represent “perhaps 2 decades of future supply [of gas for Israel] based on projected needs.”
Noble Energy operates the Matan license, on which Tamar was drilled, with 36% working interest. Other interest owners in the wells are Isramco Negev 2 with 28.75%, Delek Drilling 15.625%, Avner Oil Exploration 15.625%, and Dor Gas Exploration 4%.
The group is preparing to shoot 1,200 sq miles of 3D seismic starting in the third quarter over several leads on its acreage in the Levantine basin.
The government said buying LNG internationally would provide a backup to domestic supplies. It estimated maximum capacity of the LNG terminal at as much as 560 MMcfd but said early imports would likely be small because of the offshore gas discoveries, implying possible priority for Tamar and Dalit.
Israel’s existing gas comes from Egypt and from offshore fields in shallower water than Tamar.
Israel’s gas demand has been rising for several years, but overall prospects for world LNG demand remain bleak (OGJ Online, July 1, 2009).