Apache Corp. has started production from Tonto oil field in the North Sea offshore the UK at 10,346 b/d of crude oil from one well.
The Tonto-1 production well was drilled directionally from the Forties Bravo production platform. An appraisal wellbore encountered 62 ft of net oil pay in an Eocene sandstone at 6,325 ft. A horizontal completion lateral logged 243 ft MD of net oil pay.
Apache identified production potential of the reservoir, which is above the main Forties Paleocene reservoir, with seismic inversion. It started production before a 3D seismic survey to be shot over Forties in July to allow imaging of production patterns in the Eocene reservoir, which will help target future production wells.
The company, with a 100% working interest, plans to drill another development well by the end of 2013 after analysis of time-lapse seismic data.
Like Maule and Bacchus, other oil fields brought on stream in the Forties area in the last 3 years, Tonto qualifies for a small-field tax allowance (OGJ Online, Aug. 2, 2012).
