International Frontier Resources (IFR), Calgary, is preparing rig mobilization and drilling operations for its TEC-10 well in historic Tecolutla field. The Tecolutla block lies just onshore near Poza Rica, Mexico, in Veracruz state.
IFR is participating in a 50-50 joint venture, Tonalli Energia, with Mexican petrochemical company Grup IDESA. The block was awarded to Tonalli as part of Mexico’s first round and third call on “mature fields” or “Round 1.3.”
IFR Chief Executive Officer Steve Hanson said Tecolutla field has been underdeveloped, and new interpretation of 3D seismic data is informing the JV’s exploration. TEC-10 will be the first Tecolutla well to target new locations within the Cretaceous El Abra formation. Tonalli also acquired offsetting field data in Mexico’s Round 2.3, indicating El Abra reservoir properties and production capabilities.
The TEC-10 drill pad is expected to be completed by mid-March and a spud date is expected in mid-April.
The El Abra formation, a carbonate reservoir, lies at a depth of 2,340 m. To date, four previous Tecolutla wells have recovered 1.9 million bbl of oil. The wells were drilled by Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) between 1956 and 1972 with initial production rates of up to 473 b/d.
In 2017, Pemex announced that it discovered an estimated 350 million boe with its Ixachi-1 well, which is 72 km south of the port of Veracruz, close to Cosamaloapan in the southern part of the state (OGJ Online, Nov. 7, 2017).
Contact Tayvis Dunnahoe at [email protected].
