By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 15 -- An appraisal well in the Gulf of Venezuela has led Eni SPA and Repsol YPF to hike the estimate of gas in place in Perla gas-condensate field to more than 14 tcf.
Perla-3, in 70 m of water on the Cardon IV block, cut 675 ft of net pay in a carbonate sequence with the same hydraulic regime as the 2009 Perla-1 discovery well, cementing Perla as Venezuela’s largest gas discovery.
Perla-3 flowed 68 MMscfd of gas and 1,350 b/d of condensate on a production test. The 730 ft of bottomhole cores confirmed excellent reservoir characteristics, Eni said.
Eni, Repsol, and Petroleos de Venezuela SA have begun weighing options for fast-track development with early production of 300 MMscfd for start-up in mid-2013. This phase could involve using the wells already drilled by installing light offshore platforms linked by pipeline to an onshore central processing facility. The discovery well is 50 km west of the Paria Peninsula coast (see map, OGJ, Sept. 28, 2009, p. 38).
Cardon IV SA plans to continue the drilling campaign with another well, Perla-4, which will follow Perla-3 to target potential reserves in the untested northern part of the structure.
Cardon IV is licensed and operated by a joint operating company named Cardon IV SA that is 50% owned by Eni and 50% by Repsol. PDVSA owns a 35% back-in right to be exercised in the development phase. At that time Eni and Repsol will each hold a 32.5% interest in the project, which will then be jointly operated by the three companies.
Photo from bp.
Photo from Equinor | Stuart Conway.
