Noble tests Belinda well off Equatorial Guinea

Noble Energy Inc. has tested rich natural gas at 30.4 MMcfd and 1,540 b/d of condensate from its Belinda appraisal well on Block O off Equatorial Guinea.

Aug. 23, 2007

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, Aug. 23 -- Noble Energy Inc. has tested rich natural gas at 30.4 MMcfd and 1,540 b/d of condensate from its Belinda appraisal well on Block O off Equatorial Guinea. Noble is confident that it could boost condensate production by installing cooling and processing infrastructure.

The O-3 appraisal well was drilled to 9,500 ft TD and is in 1,740 ft of water about 4.2 miles southwest of the original Belinda discovery, O-1.

Noble said the O-3 well holds significant downdip resources which extend the Belinda discovery with improved reservoir quality and a similar thickness. The test results have exceeded the company's expectations.

This is the third well drilled in the program so far and the Songa Saturn drillship will drill the Benita appraisal well on Block I about 2 miles from the I-1 discovery well announced in June (OGJ Online, June 27, 2007).

Noble is the technical operator of Block O with a 45% participating interest. Its partners on the block include Equatorial Guinea's national oil firm GEPetrol with a 30% participating interest and Glencore Exploration Ltd. with 25% interest.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].