McMoRan Exploration Co., New Orleans, will apply to deepen its Lafitte ultradeep prospect well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf to 32,000 ft to evaluate deeper Miocene and Oligocene objectives after wireline logs indicated 56 net ft of hydrocarbon-bearing sand with good porosity in a 58-ft gross Lower Miocene Cris-R section.
McMoRan has drilled the Lafitte well, in 140 ft of water on Eugene Island Block 223, to 29,756 ft and run wireline logs to 29,740 ft. Flow testing will be needed to confirm the flow capacity of the Cris-R section, which is full to base, the company said.
The Cris-R interval brings the well’s total possible productive net sands to 171 ft when combined with the 115 ft of potential net pay encountered previously. McMoRan controls 15,000 gross acres in the immediate area.
McMoRan said the Lafitte results enhance the potential of its other acreage in the area, including its Barataria and Captain Blood ultradeep prospects. Barataria covers 10,000 gross acres west-southwest of Lafitte, and Captain Blood takes in 10,000 gross acres just south of Lafitte.
McMoRan has a 72% working interest and a 58.3% net revenue interest in Lafitte. Other working interest owners include Energy XXI (Bermuda) Ltd. 18% and Moncrief Offshore LLC 10%.
