Tullow Oil PLC said the Shell-operated Zaedyus-2 exploratory well offshore French Guiana did not encounter commercial hydrocarbons and that it expects to spud the next well, Priodontes-1, on an adjacent prospect in the same Cingulata fan system, in early December.
Zaedyus-2 (GM-ES-2), 5 km updip from the Zaedyus-1 discovery well, encountered 85 m of reservoir quality sands with oil shows in several objectives. Results of drilling, logging, and sampling to date have shown that the reservoirs in Zaedyus-2 are not in communication with Zaedyus-1.
Integration of data from both wells with the 3D seismic data suggests the reservoirs are geologically separated. As Zaedyus-2 is updip and disconnected from Zaedyus-1, this result has no bearing on the bulk of the undrilled prospectivity which is located downdip of Zaedyus-1, Tullow said.
Future drilling on the Zaedyus fan system should therefore target the significant upside in the Zaedyus downdip prospects and the downdip elements of Zaedyus Deep, Tullow said (see map, OGJ, June 4, 2012, p. 43).
Zaedyus-2 went to 6,200 m in 1,894 m on the Guyane Maritime license using the Stena DrillMax dynamically positioned drillship.
Guyane Maritime license interests are Shell 45%, Tullow 27.5%, Total 25%, and Northpet, a company owned 50% by Northern Petroleum plc and 50% by Wessex Exploration PLC, 2.5%.