McMoRan to test, deepen Blackbeard East well

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 2 -- McMoRan Exploration Co., New Orleans, is making plans to test the 178 net ft of hydrocarbon-bearing sands encountered so far in the Blackbeard East well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf off Louisiana and has applied to deepen the well to 31,500 ft.

Blackbeard East, in 80 ft of water on South Timbalier Block 144, was initially projected to 29,950 ft and is drilling below 29,000 ft.

McMoRan’s opportunities at Blackbeard East include 84 net ft of hydrocarbon-bearing sands between 19,500 and 19,700 ft in Upper Miocene, 54 net ft of hydrocarbon-bearing sands on 15 ft of water at 24,200 ft in Middle Miocene, and 40 net ft of hydrocarbon-bearing sands on 22 ft of water at 24,600 ft in Middle Miocene.

Assuming the sands below 24,000 ft have similar thicknesses higher on the structure, the updip potential would approximate 69 ft and 62 ft, respectively. Net pay counts were determined from additional petrophysical evaluation of wireline logs, sidewall cores, and formation tests.

If McMoRan completes the previously announced acquisition of Plains Exploration & Production Co.’s gulf shelf assets, McMoRan would hold 70% working interest and 56.2% net revenue interest in Blackbeard East. Its current holding is 38.5% WI and 30.7% NRI.

Meanwhile, McMoRan is drilling below 24,300 ft at the Davy Jones-2 offset appraisal well on South Marsh Island Block 234 about 2.5 miles southwest of the Davy Jones discovery well. The offset is projected to 29,950 ft to test similar sections updip to the discovery well and deeper objectives including potential additional Wilcox and possibly Cretaceous (Tuscaloosa) sections.

If it acquires PXP, McMoRan would hold 60.4% WI and 47.9% NRI in the 20,000-acre Davy Jones structure compared with its present 32.7% WI and 25.9% NRI.

The Lafitte exploratory well is drilling below 9,700 ft towards a proposed total depth of 29,950 ft in 140 ft of water on Eugene Island Block 223. The well targets Middle and Deep Miocene objectives below the salt weld. McMoRan’s interests after acquiring PXP would be 72% WI and 58.3% NRI versus 40.5% and 32.8%, respectively, at present.