APA Corp., Houston, discovered oil in Block 53 offshore Suriname.
Baja-1 was drilled using the Noble Gerry de Souza in water depths of about 1,140 m (3,740 ft) to a depth of 5,290 m (17,356 ft). It encountered 34 m (112 ft) of net oil pay in a single interval within the Campanian. Preliminary fluid and log analysis indicates light oil with a gas-oil ratio (GOR) of 1,600-2,200 scf/bbl, in good quality reservoir, the company said in a release Aug. 23. The discovery at Baja-1 is a down-dip lobe of the same depositional system as the Krabdagu discovery, 11.5 km to the west in Block 58. Evaluation of open-hole well logs, cores and reservoir fluids is ongoing.
Baja is the sixth oil discovery Apache has participated in offshore Suriname, and the first on Block 53, said John J. Christmann, APA chief executive officer and president. “This result confirms our geologic model for the Campanian in the area and helps to de-risk other prospects in the southern portion of both Blocks 53 and 58,” he continued.
APA recently received regulatory approval regarding an amendment to the Block 53 production sharing contract (PSC), which provides options to extend the exploration period of the PSC by up to 4 years. The company is currently progressing the formalization of the election of the first 1-year extension, for which all work commitments are complete, it said.
APA is operator of the block with 45% working interest. Partners are Petronas (30%) and CEPSA (25%).
The drillship will mobilize to Block 58 following the completion of current operations, where it will drill the Awari exploration prospect, about 27 km north of the Maka Central discovery.
Also in Block 58, where TotalEnergies is operator with 50% working interest and APA holds the remaining 50%, operations have concluded on the Dikkop exploration well. The well encountered water-bearing sandstones in the targeted interval and has been plugged. The drillship Maersk Valiant will be moving to Sapakara field to drill a second appraisal well at Sapakara South, where the joint venture conducted a successful flow test late 2021.
