A group led by Tullow Oil PLC is nearly finished drilling a sidetrack to recover reservoir cores from its Zaedyus deepwater discovery off French Guiana and expects to complete operations in mid-November.
The partners anticipate that the 2012 program in the Guyana basin will include 3D seismic and two wells. Zaedyus found 72 m of net oil pay in two turbidite fans and proved that the company’s Jubilee play off Ghana is mirrored across the Atlantic (OGJ Online, Sept. 9, 2011).
Shell France is expected to take over operatorship of the block from Tullow in early 2012, subject to government and joint venture approval.
Interests in the Guyane Maritime license are Shell France 45%, Tullow 27.5%, Total 25%, and Northpet Investments 2.5%.
Meanwhile in Guyana, the Jaguar well is due to spud in mid-December once the Atwood Beacon rig completes current operations. In Suriname, preparation and planning continues towards a 2,500 sq km 3D seismic program in the second quarter of 2012.
Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration
Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.
Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.