India
Reliance Industries Ltd., Mumbai, gauged a gas-condensate discovery on Block GS-OSN-2000/1 in the Gujarat-Saurashtra basin off India’s west coast.
The B1 well, drilled to TD 2,282 m in 78 m of water, found hydrocarbons in a Mid-Miocene carbonate reservoir. On a drillstem test it flowed 18.6 MMcfd of gas and 415 b/d of condensate on a 56/64-in. choke with 1,346 psi FTP.
The well, designated Dhirubhai-33, is the company’s first west coast discovery in a carbonate reservoir. Block interests are Reliance 90% and Hardy Oil & Gas PLC 10%.
Kirgizstan
Drilling could begin in July 2007 on an 11-well program in the Mailisu and Charvak areas southwest of Bishkek along the border with Uzbekistan, said Caspian Oil & Gas Ltd., Balcatta, Western Australia.
The company purchased a $3.5 million rig capable of drilling to 2,500 m from a Chinese manufacturer.
The company plans six wells on the Mailisu III license 70% owned with the state oil company Kyrgyzneftegaz as a partner and the rest on shallow prospects on the Ashvaz, East Mailisu, and Charvak licenses in a joint venture with Santos Ltd.
The Mailisu III wells are to delineate an extension of the state company’s producing oil field, which has yielded 700,000 bbl to date. Initial targets are Paleogene limestone beds V and VII at 600-1,000 m.
Philippines
Nido Petroleum Ltd., Perth, and Yilgarn Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd. plan to focus on two areas of 537,600-ha SC 54 off northwest Palawan Island and south of Malampaya field.
One focus area covers the Coron North prospect and the Pagasa turbidite play, including the Princesa lead, on the western part of the block. The companies plan to shoot 180 sq km of 3D seismic there in the third quarter of 2007.
Other 3D surveys identified 24 pinnacle reefs similar to Nido oil field in less than 120 m of water on the eastern part of the block.
Turkey
Otto Energy Ltd., Sydney, and Incremental Petroleum Pty. Ltd., Perth, launched 125 line-km of 2D seismic surveys and a surface geochem survey on the Edirne license in the onshore Thrace basin.
The surveys are aimed at the Urun prospect and the periphery of the license (OGJ Online, Mar. 13, 2007).
The companies are also tendering for a 149-sq-km 3D seismic survey due to start in the next few months over the permit’s most prospective area, including three gas discoveries made in 2005-06.
Prince Edward Island
Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax, NS, has an option to fund and drill an exploratory well to 2,800 m on 176,000-acre EL 02-03 on eastern Prince Edward Island under a farmout agreement with PetroWorth Resources Inc., Calgary.
The companies will exchange proprietary seismic data on PetroWorth’s EL 02-03 license on PEI and Corridor’s Rosevale and Elgin properties in New Brunswick. Corridor also has the option to take a farmout on EL 02-03.
Under the farmout, Corridor must decide by Aug. 12 whether to drill the well and spud by Feb. 1, 2008. If it drills, Corridor will have the option to drill two more exploratory wells by Oct. 1, 2008, to be funded 50-50. Corridor would earn a 50% working interest in the license and wells by drilling three wells.
The agreement also gives Corridor the option to fund, drill, and complete two wells on four other PetroWorth PEI licences totaling 250,000 acres to earn a 50% working interest in those licenses.
Quebec
Petrolympia Inc., private Quebec independent, was awarded an oil and gas exploration permit on 16,399 ha in the Basses-Terres region of the St. Lawrence Lowlands in Quebec.
Petrolympia, with 100% interest, plans to shoot seismic surveys and drill three exploratory wells in the lowlands, where it holds 73,021 ha on several properties. The company’s portfolio includes 113,906 ha of permits in the Appalachian basin of Quebec that include 40,885 ha of permits between Rimouski and Matane southwest of Lake Matapedia and south of Valleyfield 30 km southwest of Montreal.
Oklahoma
Bankers Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, is exploring the Devonian Woodford shale in southern and southeastern Oklahoma.
The company is drilling Greenway 35-1H, a horizontal offset to the Nickel Hill 1-26 discovery well in Carter County at which the initial potential was 470 Mcfd of gas. A second horizontal Woodford shale well is to be drilled 10 miles away in Johnston County.
Bankers and a partner are acquiring 115 sq miles of 3D seismic surveys in Carter and Johnston counties.
Bankers also plans to drill a horizontal Woodford shale test by the end of the third quarter in Hughes County. Its Lake Holdenville 35-1 well was disappointing, but a frac may not have effectively stimulated the shale, the company said. A 2.5-mile offset, however, had an initial production rate of 330 Mcfd after stimulation.
Utah
Gasco Energy Inc., Denver, set production casing to TD 16,763 ft at a deep exploratory well in Uinta County.
Tests are to begin in June. Preliminary log analysis indicated gas pay in the targeted sands, siltstones, and shales with fracture potential indications in the Cretaceous Dakota and Mancos formations, the company said. The Federal 14-31 well, in 31-9s-19e, also found the expected pay in Eocene Wasatch, Cretaceous Upper and Lower Mesaverde, and Cretaceous Blackhawk formations. Gasco’s interest in the Uinta basin well is 100%. It is the company’s first well to test deeper formations on the Riverbend Project.
West Virginia
Republic Energy Inc., Dallas, and Trans Energy Inc., St. Mary’s W.Va., formed a joint venture to carry out seismic surveying, drilling, coring, completion, and production operations in Wetzel County.
The JV will target gas in Marcellus, Rhinestreet, and other Devonian shales. The first well is to spud in July.
Recent development by Trans Energy and other operators in the area has shown attractive shale thickness, gas in place, and other conditions for high levels of hydrocarbon recovery, Trans Energy said. Republic Energy is a private Dallas independent active in the Barnett shale.
