BPZ Energy Inc., Houston, has spudded the first development well on the Corvina field CX-15 platform on Block Z-1 offshore Peru.
Drilling and completion is expected to take as long as 12 weeks. Conventional core samples of the Zorritos formation reservoir rocks will be cut during drilling operations, and an extra casing string will be used as a precaution to manage any potential shallow gas. Targeted depth is 7,400 ft subsea.
Subsequent wells are expected to be drilled and completed in less time, BPZ Energy said.
Sea and swell conditions along large areas of the Peruvian and Chilean coasts in early July caused predrilling operations at CX-15 to be stopped for safety reasons. As a result, operations that were supporting installation of the top drive were suspended, one of the final steps required before drilling could begin.