Area Drilling

Nov. 11, 1996
Albania Albania's state Albpetrol signed an agreement with INA-Naftaplin of Croatia for oil and gas exploration and development on the Panaja-Vlore block. INA-Naftaplin will invest $4.7 million during 4 years. In case of a discovery, the Croatian company will invest 75% of the costs needed to develop and exploit the reserves. Albpetrol will provide the other 25%. Investment in the block is to total $70 million during 25 years. Angola Ranger Oil Ltd., Calgary, drilled the Kiame 4 appraisal

Albania

Albania's state Albpetrol signed an agreement with INA-Naftaplin of Croatia for oil and gas exploration and development on the Panaja-Vlore block.

INA-Naftaplin will invest $4.7 million during 4 years. In case of a discovery, the Croatian company will invest 75% of the costs needed to develop and exploit the reserves. Albpetrol will provide the other 25%. Investment in the block is to total $70 million during 25 years.

Angola

Ranger Oil Ltd., Calgary, drilled the Kiame 4 appraisal well on Block 4 off Angola to 10,499 ft and suspended it without testing.

The well cut over 60 ft of good quality oil bearing reservoir above the oil-water contact. Ranger said the reservoir sands were thinner than expected, and reserves of the field are now believed lower than before.

A major 3D seismic program is completed over western Block 4. Further exploration and appraisal drilling is expected in early 1997, subject to interpretation of the seismic.

Australia

Santos Ltd. plans to test a number of prospects soon near its Gudi 1 discovery in the Cooper/Eromanga basin of South Australia.

It flowed 7.9 MMcfd of gas and 150 b/d of oil on a 1/2 in. surface choke from Early Permian Epsilon sands at 2,848-62 m. The site is 6 km west of Cuttapirrie oil and gas field.

Brazil

Petrobras discovered an oil field in 32 m of water off Sergipe with reserves estimated at 5 million bbl. It hopes for initial production of 1,200 b/d from the field, 3 km east of Dourado oil field.

Sergipe state produces 39,000 b/d of oil and 72 MMcfd of gas.

Colombia

Petrolera Argentina San Jorge SA, Houston, signed an association contract with Ecopetrol for the San Jacinto block in the Upper Magdalena Valley.

San Jorge will shoot 150 km of seismic during 2 years.

Eritrea

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is starting a seismic survey on the Zula block in the Red Sea. The program is formulated from results of a 16,000 km, high-density aerial gravity and magnetic survey completed earlier this year.

Indonesia

PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia plans to acquire state of the art seismic data and conduct an environmental assessment of the 3,792 sq mile Sibolga block off Aceh and North Sumatra provinces.

The tract, in 33-2,133 ft of water, contains extensions of geologic trends recognized in CPI's Nias PSC immediately to the south, the Chevron-Texaco combine said.

Ireland

Enterprise Oil plc, London, had to end prematurely a two well drilling program in the Slyne Trough off western Ireland after running into mechanical problems.

The first well was dry, and the Block 18/20-1 deviated well was said to have encountered gas shows in early October. The Petrolia semisubmersible had drilled to 4,372 m measured depth in 350 m of water.

The company said mechanical problems prevented it completing preparations to test the discovery well, which was plugged and abandoned and the rig released.

Kazakhstan

Gaz de France's 75% owned Erdol-Erdgas Gommern unit plans to start production as early as mid-1997 from Akshabulak oil field in southeastern Kazakhstan.

Exploratory drilling, now complete, has identified reserves of about 106 million bbl. Production is to reach a peak 7.3 million bbl/year within 3 years, then decline gradually the following 20 years.

EEG launched the project in 1991. Spending in 1996-2000 is to be shared by RWE DEA of Germany, the World Bank's International Finance Corp., and EEG in partnership with Yuzhkazneftegaz.

Akshabulak crude will be shipped 800 km to the Ka- zakh refinery in Chimkent. It is to be swapped for a similar volume produced in western Kazakhstan. That oil will be shipped through Russia, Belarus, and Poland for refining in Germany.

Yemen

Canadian Occidental Petroleum-Yemen let contracts to Providence Technologies Inc., Roswell, N.M., for 3D and 2D seismic surveys on Masila A Block 14.

The program consists of 140 sq km of 3D surveys over Sunah and Heijah fields and 120 km of 2D recon seismic in the region. Solid State Geophysical, Calgary, is acquisition contractor. Surveys have started, and delivery is expected in second quarter 1997.

California

Enron Oil & Gas Co., Houston, let contract to Grant Geophysical Inc. for a large 3D seismic survey in the San Joaquin basin starting this month for completion in first quarter 1997.

A group led by Slawson Exploration Inc., Wichita, has completed 10 of 11 wells in the Grimes area of the Sacramento basin.

The 1-33 Jacob flowed 5.1 MMcfd of gas from Cretaceous Forbes, and electric logs showed other potential pay zones, says Equity Oil Co., Salt Lake City.

The wells were drilled based on the 42 sq mile Orion 3D seismic survey conducted in 1995. Flow rates ranged from 1-5 MMcfd/well, with gas sold in the California spot market where prices the past 3 months ranged from $1.69-2.09/MMBTU.

Equity is participating in new 16 sq mile and 17 sq mile 3D surveys in the area.

Colorado

Sanchez-O'Brien Oil & Gas Corp., Houston, staked a Raton basin wildcat in Huerfano County.

The 1 Willis, in 4-29s-69w, 6 miles west-northwest of La Veta, is projected to 5,500 ft to Cretaceous Dakota and Jurassic Entrada, Petroleum Information reported. There is no active production in the area.

Chevron USA Inc. completed the first horizontal producing well in giant Rangely field.

The 9 Fee, in Rio Blanco County, pumped 385 b/d of oil with 232 Mcfd of gas and 1,192 b/d of water from Pennsylvanian Weber open hole at 5,620-6,659 ft, PI reported.

Mississippi

PetroCorp Inc., Houston, entered a seismic joint venture with a Shell Oil Co. subsidiary in which it will use Shell 2D seismic data to expand PetroCorp's exploration in the Mississippi portion of the Gulf Coast salt basin.

Shell will contribute 13,000 line miles of data covering 18 counties in return for a 50% working interest in prospects developed.

Philippines

Philippine National Oil Co. and Malaysia's Petronas started a $4.5 million seismic survey in the southern Philippines Cotabato basin. Completion is set for March 1997.

About 12 wells have tested the basin, almost entirely onshore Mindanao, without success.

Pakistan

Union Texas Pakistan Inc. reported its 44th and 45th discoveries out of 101 exploration wells drilled on the 2 million acre Badin block in Sindh province 125 miles northeast of Karachi.

East of Badin, Union Texas will spud its first wildcat on the Eastern Sindh block in second quarter 1997.

The Jagir 1 flowed 3,027 b/d of oil on a 48/64 in. choke with 410 psi FTP from Cretaceous Lower Goru at 7,060-7,226 ft.

The Sakhi 1 tested 2,106 b/d of oil on a 32/64 in. choke with 1,032 psi FTP from Lower Goru at 6,596-6,646 ft.

The Union Texas group has also completed 73 appraisal and development wells, of which 66 were successful. Current production averages 25,000 b/d of oil and 160 MMcfd of gas from 66 wells.

The group from 1977-95 discovered 233 million bbl of oil equivalent, 38% oil.

Gulf of Mexico

Pogo Producing Co. has added reserves on East Cameron Block 334 with tests at two exploratory wells. The block has been producing for 19 years.

The Nos. 7 and 9 wells each cut more than 300 net ft of gas and condensate sands below 15,000 ft. Pogo suspended both until the E platform jacket is installed.

The No. 6 well found 30 net ft of gas pay at 6,200 ft and is to start producing this month. It will be produced through the D platform, which came on in August 1996 and is flowing 15 MMcfd from a zone at 10,000 ft. Exxon has interests in the D and E platform wells.

An Enron Oil & Gas Co. group tested a discovery on Eugene Island Block 135 in 70 ft of water. TD is 18,300 ft.

The 1 OCS-G-14467 cut a combined 200 ft of gross interval in two gas sands. One sand flowed 16.5 MMcfd of gas and 650 b/d of condensate on a 20/64 in. choke with 9,050 psi FTP, said Box Energy Corp., Dallas.

Interests are Enron 50%, Seagull Energy Corp. 20%, and CXY Energy Offshore Ind. and Box each 15%.

Nevada

Foreland Corp., Lakewood, Colo., set production casing to TD 4,782 ft the 58-35 Ghost Ranch-Federal, second well in an unnamed Devonian carbonate oil field in Nye County between Eagle Springs and Kate Spring oil fields. Completion is to start soon.

A number of sidewall cores with good to excellent oil shows were collected. Well data indicate the formation has excellent porosity and permeability and is heavily fractured.

The discovery well, Foreland 48-35 Ghost Ranch, averaged about 700 b/d of oil during simulated production tests that involved hot diesel injection and swabbing. The well has since produced as much as 500 b/d of oil on extended flow tests.

Working interests are Foreland 60% and Barrett Resources Inc.'s Plains Petroleum Operating Co. unit 40%. More wells are planned in the program, which is based on 3D data.

Texas

West

Termo Co., Long Beach, Calif., staked a horizontal wildcat to Permian Abo in Lamb County.

The 1 Stubblefield, 5 miles north of giant Anton-Irish oil and gas field, is projected to 7,500 ft true vertical depth, PI reported.

Abraxas Petroleum Corp., San Antonio, dually completed its best well to date in Abraxas field in Ward County.

It flowed 201 b/d of oil and 361 Mcfd of gas on a 15/64 in. choke with 940 psi FTP from commingled Cherry Canyon M, N, O, and P and Brushy Canyon sands at 6,248-7,030 ft.

It also flowed 214 b/d of oil and 540 Mcfd of gas, natural, on a 20/64 in. choke with 345 psi FCP from Bell Canyon A sand at 4,702-40 ft.

Six more zones appear to be productive and remain behind pipe. Abraxas plans to drill six more wells this year and 26 wells next year targeting Cherry Canyon oil in the field.

Wyoming

Louisiana Land & Exploration Co. plans to join Tom Brown Inc. by yearend in an exploration alliance covering 500,000 acres on the Sho- shone/Arapahoe Wind River Indian Reservation.

The lands are in the Wind River basin west of LL&E operated, 70,000 acre Madden Deep Unit.

Brown recently staked the 22-5 Tribal-Sand Gulch wildcat in Fremont County 10 miles northwest of Riverton. Located 6 miles southeast of Pavillion gas field, it is projected to 10,000 ft.

Brown also staked the 28-11 Tribal-Juniper, a 1,400 ft Pennsylvanian Tensleep exploratory test in abandoned Sage Creek North oil and gas field. Both sites are on Indian lands.

JP Oil Co., Lafayette, La., plans to revitalize Lance Creek field, which it acquired from Marathon Oil Co. and Devon Energy Corp.

The field, in Niobrara County, produces 200 b/d of oil and 500 Mcfd of gas from 18 wells in six reservoirs. Another 30 wells are shut in. The Powder River basin field has produced about 66 million bbl of oil from eight horizons since discovery in 1918.

JP plans to start gas sales, return wells to production, conduct a fieldwide geologic engineering study, consolidate production facilities, and install a gas liquids stripping plant.

Cross Timbers Oil Co., Fort Worth, plans to acquire more interests in Fontenelle field in the Green River basin for $13 million from an undisclosed seller.

This will give Cross Timbers more than 97% of the Lincoln County unit. The acquired interest represents 25 bcf of proved gas reserves and 1.8 MMcfd of production from 71 gross wells from Cretaceous Frontier at 7,500-9,000 ft.

Cross Timbers has spudded the first two of seven wells it plans to drill by yearend and may drill as many as 73 more wells the next several years.

Utah

Mobil Exploration & Producing completed a well in giant Aneth field of San Juan County producing oil from three horizontal legs in Pennsylvanian Desert Creek.

The 12-23 Ratherford Unit pumped 1,336 b/d of oil with 840 Mcfd of gas and 1,150 b/d of water, PI reported.

Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.