Oil exploratory wells span California basins | Oil & Gas Journal

Several exploratory wells are drilling or about to spud seeking unconventional and heavy oil resources in and around established California oil fields.

New Gulf Energy LLC will earn interests from Neon Energy Ltd., Perth, and INNEX Energy LLC, Plano, Tex., by drilling and fully funding three wells in Kings County, Calif.

The first well, designed to test the Monterey formation in the San Joaquin basin in a southern extension of Kettleman North Dome field, spudded on Sept. 2, 2011. Planned total depth is 7,630 ft. Each well is expected to cost $3.5 million.

Meanwhile, Neon Energy spudded on Sept. 10 at a 100% owned well designed to test a possible eastern extension of giant San Ardo heavy oil field in the Salinas basin in Monterey County.

Also, Trio Petroleum LLC is to spud in late September at Deadman’s Gulch, a moderate risk oil prospect 6 km east of Neon’s North San Ardo field.

Neon also operates a planned 15,500-ft geological wildcat about to spud in the western part of giant Paloma oil and gas field in Kern County. Seven target sandstone and shale zones in the Miocene are expected beginning at 10,000 ft.

The well is on a 1,400-acre 3D seismic prospect in which Solimar Energy Ltd., Melbourne, has a 25% interest. Dry hole cost is $4.9 million.

More in Area Drilling

Oilfield Service Technology Pitfalls And how to avoid them.

Oilfield Service Technology Pitfalls And how to avoid them.

Oilfield service is a tricky business for a number of reasons. But fluctuating demand driven by commodity prices are the root cause behind a number of the challenges executives in this industry face

Vantage to buy QEP’s Williston basin assets in $1.7-billion deal

QEP Energy Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Denver-based QEP Resources Inc., has agreed to sell all its assets in the Williston basin in North Dakota and Montana, which includes the South Antelope and Fort Berthold leasehold and various mineral interests, to Vantage Acquisition Operating Co. LLC, Denver, a subsidiary of Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp., for as much as $1.725 billion, subject to purchase price adjustments.

181105ogjxdi Z01

Exploration in Egypt, Ecuador, Russia, and Mongolia pushes boundaries

Oil and gas companies are exploring in disparate parts of the world to add more reserves to fulfill growing world energy demand. Egypt intensified oil and gas exploration efforts in the Mediterranean and Red Sea while Ecuador recently opened more onshore blocks to international investors.

181105ogjdzh Z01

Researchers improve China’s Sulige Su-A gas production

Researchers improved and stabilized production for 75 vertical wells on Su-A block of China’s Sulige tight sandstone gas field. They implemented measures that could guide the development of ultralow permeability gas reservoirs elsewhere.

Beach Energy sells 40% of its Otway basin interests

Beach Energy Ltd., Adelaide, has sold 40% of its Victorian-Tasmanian Otway basin interests to Monaco-based Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer’s OG Energy Holdings Ltd. for $344 million (Aus.) in cash.

LLOG Exploration brings deepwater gulf wells online

LLOG Exploration Co. LLC, Covington, La., has brought online several wells in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and will move forward with additional development projects.

IHS Markit: Offshore drilling rigs to rise through 2020

Consistently higher oil prices and greater cost–efficiency in offshore projects are driving increased demand for offshore drilling rigs through 2020, particularly for deepwater projects, according to recent analysis from IHS Markit.

180903ogjxsk Z01

Egypt cutting arrears to spur natural gas exploration

Egypt remains at the top of the list for international oil companies (IOC), mid-caps, and small exploration and production (E&P) companies considering new concessions.

180903ogjxwi Z01

Bamaga basin emerges as potential Eastern Australia gas supply source

Eastern Australian politicians and industry are grappling with a looming east coast domestic natural gas supply crisis. Sydney-based Gulf Energy Ltd. has secured a leasehold over the whole of a new exploration area called Bamaga basin in the Gulf of Carpentaria, 150 km off the north Queensland coast.

Lundin appraisal well derisks new play concept off Norway

Lundin Petroleum plans an extended well test and further exploration drilling following positive results on Rolvsnes that derisk the similar on-trend prospectivity on an adjacent license.

Equinor outlines plan to transform work on NCS

Equinor is introducing new measures to transform the Norwegian continental shelf to tackle future challenges of declining production, ageing installations, and the need for reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Sherritt resumes Block 10 drilling in Cuba

Sherritt International Corp., Toronto, has resumed drilling of its second exploration well on Block 10 in Cuba after suspending work last year to study wellbore targeting.

North Slope riches

The state of Alaska is offering what officials describe as “a veritable cornucopia of information” for anyone interested in exploring for North Slope oil.

180730ogjjspk P01

Gulf methane hydrates

Plans are progressing for the next stage of methane hydrate scientific drilling by the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and its partners on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Researchers hit a momentary snag regarding research vessels.