Area Drilling

May 10, 2004
Kuwaiti sources reported the country's first natural gas discovery.

Kuwait

Kuwaiti sources reported the country's first natural gas discovery.

The MU-12 well in Mutriba oil field produced gas and condensate from the Permo-Triassic Sudair formation at 19,000 ft (OGJ, Nov. 6, 2000, p. 36).

Mutriba is in northwestern Kuwait, southwest of Raudhautain oil field, near the border with Iraq.

Louisiana

Goodrich Petroleum Corp., Houston, set production casing at an apparent Jurassic Cotton Valley deeper pool discovery in Bethany-Longstreet field, DeSoto Parish.

The Taylor 1 well logged 100 ft of net pay in Cotton Valley plus additional apparent pay in the Cretaceous Hosston formation. TD is 10,205 ft.

The well is Goodrich's first on an 18,000-acre farmout at Bethany-Longstreet. The field dates to 1916.

It is also the company's first well in a Cotton Valley Trend drilling initiative in East Texas and North Louisiana. Goodrich holds an average 80% working interest in 15,000 gross acres in the East Texas portion of the trend.

Gulf of Mexico

Noble Energy Inc., Houston, took over as operator of Green Canyon Block 199 with acquisition of ConocoPhillips's interest in the deepwater Lorien discovery.

Lorien, announced in July 2003, was the only deepwater well in which Noble participated in 2003.

The purchase hikes Noble's interest to 60% from 20%. Norsk Hydro E&P Americas AS Inc. acquired 30% interest from ConocoPhillips, and Davis Offshore LP acquired 10%. The acquisitions are subject to Minerals Management Service approval.

The discovery well, to be appraised this year, encountered more than 120 ft of apparent oil in a high quality reservoir interval. It went to 18,703 ft (17,432 ft TVD) in 2,177 ft of water.