Equatorial Guinea
Triton Energy Ltd., Dallas, spudded G-2, the first of 6 wildcats planned between now and mid-2001 off Rio Muni. Triton said it might alter drilling plans based on well results. The company hopes to start up Ceiba field on Block G by yearend 2000 with four wells producing a gross 52,000 bo/d. The 275,000 dwt Sendje Berge floating production, storage, and offloading vessel was to arrive in the Gulf of Guinea in late October.
Israel
Spectrum Energy & Information Technology Ltd., Woking, UK, completed acquisition of 12,300 km of nonexclusive seismic data in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The data, designed to complement and infill Spectrum's existing, recently reprocessed 7,850 km data set over the area, is to be processed by March 2001.
The new survey ties British Gas and Samedan discoveries and other wells.
Russia
ExxonMobil Corp.'s Exxon Neftegas Ltd. unit encountered a "significant" oil accumulation with a step-out to Chayvo oil field on its Sakhalin I block off Sakhalin Island.
The Chayvo-6 appraisal well penetrated an oil-bearing Miocene reservoir that flowed at a test rate of 6,000 b/d of oil. The well cut a 340-ft oil column on the west flank of the Chayvo structure. Chayvo-6 was drilled in 50 m of water to TD 10,089 ft.
Exxon Neftegas operates the Sakhalin I consortium with a 30% interest; Japanese joint venture Sakhalin Oil Development Cooperation Co. Ltd. holds 30%; and Russian companies SMNG-Shelf and Rosneft-Sakhalin hold 23% and 17%, respectively.
New Brunswick
An exploratory well near Sussex encountered gas in what a participant calls the first well to test a petroleum prospect in the Maritimes basin based on application of 3D seismic technology.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, operator, and Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax, gave no depth or formation for the gas show. The McCully 1 well, 55 miles northeast of St. John, was set up as a 2,400-m test of the Albert member of the Mississippian Horton Group.
Further evaluation is required before it can assess production and reserves potential, Corridor said. The well site is about 25 miles southwest of abandoned Stoney Creek oil and gas field.
PCS, a state entity, pays 100% of the well cost, estimated at $1.5 million (Canadian) to earn a 50% working interest in Corridor's rights on 1,440 ha on the prospect.
Colorado
The Colorado Oil & Gas Commission rejected an application to halve well spacing in a portion of the Grand Valley area of Garfield County in the Piceance basin.
Barrett Resources Corp., Denver, had sought approval to reduce spacing to 20 acres from 40 acres for wells that produce gas from the Williams Fork formation.
Rejection means that Barrett would have to drill directionally from existing well pads on about 1,300 acres south of the Colorado River.
Cheaper vertical drilling would have required construction of new pads against environmental objections of some residents.
Indiana
Dart Oil & Gas Corp., Mason, Mich., staked a remote shallow wildcat to Cambro-Ordovician Knox.
The 1 Miller & Sons Inc., in 29-28n-4e, Miami County, is projected to 1,500 ft. It is about 5 miles north of abandoned Peru oil field, IHS Energy Group reported.
Nevada
Connelly Exploration Inc., Denver, staked a remote wildcat in Nye County.
Objective is 3,500 ft at the 33-2 Gap Mountain, in 33-5n-6we, Nye County, IHS reported. The site is in the White River Valley 30-40 miles southeast of oil fields in Railroad Valley.
New York
The state sought proposals by Nov. 1 for geologic characterization and development projects to target high potential, less explored gas bearing formations.
Main targets of the program are Devonian and Ordovician shales, the Trenton-Black River Group, Beekmantown, Herkimer-Oneida, and Cambrian Theresa-Potsdam.
The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority will provide $75,000-100,000 per project in co-funding.
Oklahoma
GHK Co. LLC, Oklahoma City, gauged a flow of 24 MMcfd of gas from Mississippian Jackfork at its second horizontal well in Potato Hills field in the Ouachita Province.
The 2-6 London, in 6-2n-20e, Pushmataha County, made the gas on a 48/64 in. choke with 830 psi flowing casing pressure from treated perforations at 4,543-53 ft, 5,264-70 ft, and 5,930-40 ft, IHS reported.
Texas
Gulf Coast
Venus Exploration Inc., San Antonio, was starting its third well in Constitution field, Jefferson County, where it completed its second well.
That well flowed 3.682 MMcfd of gas, 312 bc/d, and 168 bw/d on a 15/64 in. choke with 3,870 psi flowing tubing pressure from stimulated perforations in Eocene Westbury Middle Yegua sand at 14,246-251 ft. The formation extends from 14,229-289 ft. TD is 14,910 ft.