Llanos field well confirms Mirador oil, finds new pay

July 30, 2012
Participants in the Los Ocarros block in Colombia’s Llanos basin have drilled a well in Las Maracas field that confirmed the Mirador formation regular oil pay and recovered light oil from deeper pay in the Gacheta formation.

Participants in the Los Ocarros block in Colombia’s Llanos basin have drilled a well in Las Maracas field that confirmed the Mirador formation regular oil pay and recovered light oil from deeper pay in the Gacheta formation.

Las Maracas-3 went to a total depth of 12,580 ft measured depth and flowed at the rate of 1,491 b/d of 30° gravity oil from 14 ft of perforations in the Gacheta. The well encountered new oil pay of 59 ft true vertical depth, of which 30 ft are in Mirador and 29 ft are in Gacheta.

Gacheta averages 24% porosity and 72% oil saturation over the net pay interval. The Mirador formation has properties similar to those in the Las Maracas-2 sidetrack discovery well.

Additionally, as a possible upside, potential thin-bed pay is identified in the Une, Gacheta, and Carbonera C7 formations, and good oil and gas shows were encountered drilling through the Une reservoir. This upside potential will be evaluated in future wells, said Petroamerica Oil Corp., Calgary, which has a 50% interest in the block.

The participants decided to run an electric submersible pump and complete the well, producing the Gacheta at rates as high as 2,000 b/d through the Las Maracas long-term test facility during the first week of August 2012. The Mirador interval will be produced later using the same wellbore.

The rig will now be skidded to drill the Las Maracas-4 well from the same surface location.

Las Maracas-2 has been producing from the Mirador formation on long-term test since Apr. 23 and as of July 29 had produced more than 102,000 bbl of oil. It is choked at a stable 1,080 b/d with less than 2% water-cut.

Block operator Cepcolsa, has transferred its 50% participating interest to Parex Resources Colombia Ltd. Sucursal pending approval by Colombia’s ANH.

Meanwhile, Petroamerica will divest its 33.3% working interest in Lower Magdalena Block 5 to the operator of the block in return for a $3 million letter of credit.