Chile
Methanex Corp., Vancouver, BC, agreed to provide $40 million to accelerate GeoPark Holdings Ltd.’s exploration and development program on the Fell Block in the Austral basin in southern Chile.
GeoPark, which will sell Methanex gas from the Fell Block for 10 years, has been increasing its gas supply to Methanex since 2006. Its goal is to provide up to 10% of Methanex’s gas needs by the end of 2008 (OGJ Online, Nov. 16, 2007).
Indonesia
CGGVeritas completed 3,000 line-km of nonexclusive 2D seismic survey in the Savu Sea between the Indonesian islands of Savu, Rote, and Sumba.
The South Flores area survey, which highlights prospective Triassic plays and hydrocarbon systems north of Australia’s Browse basin, will undergo processing and become available in January 2008.
Portugal
Mohave Oil & Gas Corp., private Houston operator, plans to resume drilling the Lapaducos-2 well in western Portugal in December 2007.
It plans to deepen the well to 1,500 m to evaluate fractured Upper Jurassic Montejunto carbonate and Middle Jurassic Candieiros limestone targets.
The rig will then move to deepen Aljubarrota-4 by 400 m into the lower fractured Brenha carbonate zone and the underlying Brenha carbonate grainstone zone, said interest holder DualEx Energy International Inc., Calgary.
Meanwhile, surveying and permitting continues on the Torres Vedras 3D seismic program. Field recording is to start before the end of 2007.
The 117 sq km 3D survey will be shot to follow up on a well drilled by another operator on a Jurassic reef prospect using older 2D seismic. A 130 sq km second 3D survey will be shot in the Aljubarrota Concession after the Torres Vedras survey.
DualEx has a 10% working interest in the Torres Vedras-3 and Aljubarrota-3 Concessions, which cover 321,000 acres and 311,000 acres, respectively.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Office of Conservation banned the issuance of drilling permits within a quarter mile of interstate highways in the state for 120 days starting Dec. 1, 2007.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco asked the office to protect public safety after a well blew out and burned in Iberville Parish Nov. 15, causing closure of Interstate 10 through the Atchafalaya basin until 7 p.m. Nov. 25.
Utah
Ameriwest Energy Corp., Houston, plans to drill an 8,000-ft wildcat in early 2008 seeking oil in Devonian Guilmette dolomite in nonproducing Tooele County, Utah.
Ameriwest signed a letter of intent to acquire a 100% working interest in the Skull Valley Prospect from Geochem Exploration LLC.
Ameriwest said the prospect is a soil gas anomaly that was first identified by geochemical surveying by the former Gulf Oil Corp. in the 1970s. The location is on a geological low and in an area of propane and ethane anomalies more than 100 miles north-northwest of Covenant oil field in Sevier County, Utah.
West Virginia
Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., Houston, plans to drill two more wells to Devonian Huron shale in 2007 and 19 wells in 2008 to further develop an unnamed gas field in Mason County, W.Va.
The company is hooking up a horizontal well that flowed gas from Huron shale while drilling. The Meadows A-1H well flowed at natural rates higher than 1 MMcfd during drilling. TD is 6,816 ft, and the well has a 3,530-ft lateral in Huron.
Cabot, with 100% working interest, drilled the well in 18 days for less than $600,000.