Exploration/Development news briefs, June 28
Triton Energy Ltd., Dallas, reports the Ceiba-4 development well offshore Equatorial Guinea has confirmed the oil pool found with the Ceiba-1, 2, and 3 wells. Ceiba-4 penetrated 269 ft of net oil-bearing pay in three zones. The Ceiba-4 well confirmed the southern extension of the field and appears to support a deeper field oil-water contact than originally interpreted, says Triton. Located 22 miles off the continental coast of Equatorial Guinea on Block G, Ceiba-4 was drilled to 8,957 ft TD in 2,431 ft of water. The Sedco 700 rig will complete Ceiba-4, as well as the first three wells, readying them for hookup to the field's early production system so that first oil can be achieved by yearend 2000. Ceiba-5 was spudded June 23 by the R.F. Bauer drillship. Ceiba-5 is 1.75 miles northwest of Ceiba-3. Triton has an 85% working interest in and is the operator of Blocks F and G; South Africa's Energy Africa Ltd. holds the remainder.
Robo Enterprises Inc., Bowling Green, Ky., said it drilled 1500 Breaux No. 1 well in Acadia Parish, La., to 13,000 ft and that an 18-hr production test of the Lower Camerina sandstone yielded 793 b/d of oil through an 8/64-in. choke with wellhead pressure of 6,700 psi. Robo officials estimate the well will produce 450-500 b/d of oil and 150-200 Mcfd of natural gas under production conditions with a 6/64-in. choke. "We are currently designing production facilities for this well and are on target to begin production by the end of June,'' said Robo Pres. and CEO David G. Rose. Robo says there are two initial intervals that may be tested in the future.
AMG Oil Ltd., Calgary, said it has exercised its drilling option in Petroleum Exploration Permit 38256, onshore in New Zealand's Canterbury basin. Starting in early September, AMG will fund the drilling of two exploration wells in the permit, both targeting Homebush sandstones. It will spend about $2 million on the program. As agreed between Indo-Pacific Energy Ltd. and AMG, the work increases AMG's interest in the project to 80% from 30%.
Kerr-McGee Corp., Oklahoma City, said the CFD 11-1-3 appraisal well on Block 04/36 in China's Bohai Bay was drilled to 4,921 ft. On test, it flowed more than 1,800 b/d of 36� gravity oil from the Guantao. The well is in 92 ft of water about 3 miles north of the discovery well, CFD 11-1-1. Light oil, with an API gravity of 31�, also was encountered in the Minghuazhen formation, but the interval was not flow-tested. Kerr-McGee says it believes that the CFD 11-1 area has estimated oil in place of 1.3-1.5 billion bbl and reserves of 130-150 million bbl. Kerr-McGee is operator with working interest of 81.8% in the block; Pendaries Petroleum Ltd. holds 18.2%.
TransGlobe Energy Corp., Calgary, said the second exploration well on Vintage Petroleum Inc.-operated Block S-1 in Yemen has been drilled and cased as a potential oil producer. Testing of this second well, dubbed Harmel-1, should begin in the next 3 weeks, says TransGlobe. The drilling rig will be moved 12 km to the southwest to the third location, Fordus-1, where Vintage will drill a well to test a separate structure. TransGlobe and Vintage have applied for approval to drill a fourth well, this one on the An Naeem structure downdip of the An Naeem-1 discovery well, which flowed 40 MMcfd of gas and 1,020 b/d of condensate on test.