By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 19 -- Amerada Hess Corp. said it is planning to drill four exploration wells in Equatorial Guinea this year, following the plugging and abandonment of its F-4 dry hole, which lies 13 miles northeast of the company's Ebano field discovery well in the Rio Muni basin. The New York-based company said reservoir sands were present in F-4, but it proved to be water-bearing.
Amerada Hess said that the first of the planned exploration wells would be spudded in the southern portion of Block G before the end of the month. The company also said that drilling would shortly begin on an appraisal well to Elon field.
Most recently Amerada Hess made a new oil discovery, called Abang, which was drilled on Block G and found 170 ft of net pay, 157 ft of oil and 13 ft of gas (OGJ Online, June 19, 2002).
Amerada Hess has an 85% working interest in and is operator of Block G. South Africa's Energy Africa Ltd. holds the remaining interest.
The company plans a phased development plan for its fields in the northern part of Block G—Okume, Oveng, Ebano, Akom, Elon, and Abang.