Area Drilling

LIBYA

A group led by International Petroleum Corp., Dubai, encouraged by early results of a planned 750 line km seismic survey, plans to spud two wildcats back to back starting Dec. 1 on Block NC177 in Libya's Sirte basin.

Data quality is high. Data confirmed that the main prospect, Farah North, has north-south closure.

IPC noted that Veba Oel AG has made several discoveries on Concessional 72 to the east, including one recently in the 100 million bbl plus range.

MALAYSIA

A group led by International Petroleum Corp., Dubai, started a 3D seismic survey over 357 sq km over the Pakma-Orkid structural complex on Block PM-3 off peninsular Malaysia (see map, OGJ, July 8, 1996, p. 36).

The complex contains about 30% of the known gas reserves and 15-20% of the known oil reserves on the block. The balance of the reserves lie in Kekwa-Raya.

IPC reached 8,800 ft at the first horizontal well as part of an early production system being installed in Bunga Kekwa field. A 400 ft lateral in the main oil zone is planned.

Meanwhile, the group's most recent well test, at the Bunga Raya-2 well, produced from the I, J, and K zones of Lower Miocene. IPC said the two most recent appraisal wells will increase reserves on the block substantially from the previous estimate, 90 million st-tk bbl of oil and 1.1 tcf of gas, as of September 1995.

RUSSIA

Companies have formed a partnership to develop Samburg and Evo Yakha fields in western Siberia.

Swift Energy Co, Houston, McDermott International Inc., New Orleans, and MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas Co. plan to join with JSC Senega, the Russian partner with whom Swift has worked the past 3 years.

Upon formation with Senega of a jointly owned Russian joint stock company to hold the license, the group plans $60-70 million in first phase development work the next 2 years. Lending institutions will provide the balance above the estimated collective equity investment of $24-28 million.

Full development of the license area could lead to recovery of 700 million bbl of oil and condensate and 7.5 tcf of gas.

ALBERTA

Mobil Oil Canada Ltd. successfully completed two horizontal gas wells in the Hanlan area 250 km west of Edmonton.

The completions are Canada's deepest horizontal wells, and one is capable of one of Canada's highest gas flow rates.

Mobil reentered the Clearwater 2-1-36-13w5m, a 1987 vertical completion by Shell Canada Ltd. Mobil drilled to 5,142 m vertically and another 1,000 m horizontally in the same formation. The well was flowing at the rate of 6 MMcfd of gas by yearend 1995. The job cost $4.5 million, and at yearend 1995 the well was Canada's deepest horizontal reentry.

Mobil drilled the 10-14-46-17w5M well in late 1995-early 1996 at a cost of $7.6 million. Capable of flowing 45 MMcfd, it came on line in mid-May. It went to 4,766 m TVD, 5,100 m measured depth.

Mobil plans to apply the technology in the future as more opportunities arise.

U.S. GULF

Stone Energy Corp., Lafayette, La., plans to start production in fourth quarter from a discovery in South Pelto Block 23 field.

The 22 OCS-G-1238 well, drilled and evaluated through 13,650 ft by late June, logged and cored 30 net ft of oil pay in the first objective sand. Proposed TD is 15,100 ft to evaluate more zones indicated prospective on 3D seismic.

Stone plans to drill two more wells in the western part of the block this year, including one to evaluate more untested bright spots. Stone's working interest is 98%.

McMoRan Oil & Gas Co., New Orleans, anticipates drilling several more wells to evaluate commerciality of a discovery on West Cameron Block 616.

The McMoRan/MCN Corp. and Forest Oil Corp. No. 2 well in 300 ft of water encountered several gas zones with a combined 190 ft of net pay. TD is 14,603 ft MD, 11,440 ft TVD.

The companies also plan exploratory drilling on adjacent Block 617.

McMoRan plugged its 1 West Cameron Block 503 well, which encountered two gas bearing zones with a combined 71 ft of net pay. TD is 7,745 ft MD, 7,608 ft TVD. McMoRan is evaluating the most feasible economic development for the block, including possible combinations with owners in adjacent blocks.

Several companies plan to acquire 3D seismic data over Grand Isle Blocks 65, 58, and 59.

McMoRan, Petrobras America Inc., Santa Fe Resources Inc., and Nippon Oil Exploration USA Ltd.'s Grand Isle Block 65 1ST well encountered 29 ft of net gas pay in two zones. TD is 16,616 ft MD, 13,884 ft TVD. McMoRan took a 43.75% working interest with Nippon in the other two blocks.

Contractors planned to start acquisition in fourth quarter on a 1,500 block 3D seismic program in Gulf of Mexico deepwater areas.

Jebco Seismic Inc. and Petroleum Geo-Services plan to acquire the data in 2,500-10,000 ft of water in the Garden Banks, Green Canyon, Walker Ridge, Mississippi Canyon, Atwater Valley, Keathley Canyon, and Lund OCS planning areas. In order to image targets well below these depths, 8,000 m offsets will be recorded at optimum temporal and spatial sampling. Survey completion is set for 1998.

INDIANA

A three company group plans to start completion work on wells in the first phase of a 30 well Illinois basin program targeting gas in Devonian New Albany shale.

The multiwell program covers Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, and Washington counties, PI reported.

Participants are Jet/ Hun- ton Exploration LLC, Charle- voix, Mich., and LeVanway Exploration.

Kestrel Resources Inc., Dallas, also is exploring the New Albany.

The company has drilled two wells in 34- and 35-6n-8w, Sullivan County.

KENTUCKY

Carson Associates Inc., Ashland, Ky., staked two more Rome trough tests in eastern Kentucky.

The 33 Lawson Heirs is projected to 7,500 ft or Cambrian Rome, and the T1 Lawson Heirs is projected to 4,000 ft or Ordovician Black River, Petroleum Information reported.

Both are in 7-S-78, Elliott County, in Isonville Consolidated field, which produces mostly from Mississippian Weir.

LOUISIANA

Freeport-McMoRan Resource Partners LP agreed to acquire half of McMoRan Oil & Gas Co.'s 50% working interest in joint venture exploration with Phillips Petroleum Co. of 35,000 acres in south Terrebonne Parish.

The first wildcat is to spud in third quarter 1996 on the East Fiddler's Lake prospect.

MISSISSIPPI

Fina Inc., Dallas, staked a remote wildcat in Forrest County.

The 1 Harvison 3-1, in 3-2n-13w, 3 miles west of McLaurin, is projected to 9,000 ft. It is on the McLaurin salt dome (OGJ, June 17, 1996, p. 54) and about 5 miles south of one well Ralston field, which produces oil and gas from Lower Tuscaloosa at 8,564-8,604 ft, PI reported.

NEVADA

Foreland Corp., Lakewood, Colo., spudded the 48-35 Ghost Ranch exploratory well in 35-9n-57e, Nye County, toward a target defined by 3D seismic 1/2 mile from Eagle Springs and Kate Spring oil fields. Working interests are Foreland 60% and Barrett Resources Corp. 40%.

Foreland plans to spud the Pine Creek well in 8-28n-52e, Pine Valley, Eureka County, by end July. The site is within 4 miles of North Willow Creek, Blackburn, and Three-Bar oil fields.

Foreland negotiated an agreement to end an exploration venture with Enserch Exploration and Berry Petroleum. New Enserch management elected not to pursue Nevada exploration. Foreland receives rights to 46,400 gross acres in Pine, Antelope, and Little Smoky valleys, 57 line miles of seismic data in those valleys, 61 miles of Enserch-Berry proprietary seismic, and an option to acquire a further 100 miles of seismic in Pine Valley.

OKLAHOMA

Texaco Exploration & Production Inc. completed a horizontal gas well from Pennsylvanian Atoka in the Arkoma basin that PI notes is only the second horizontal completion in that formation.

The 3-4H White B, in 3-6n-18e, Latimer County, Wilburton field, flowed 2.006 MMcfd of gas with 1 b/d of water on a 22/64 in. choke with 700 psi FTP from Middle Atoka perforations at 7,610-9,193 ft measured depth.

The only other reported horizontal Atoka completion was a 1992 Arco well in Upton County, Tex.

TEXAS

Gulf Coast

Nuevo Energy Co., Houston, plans to drill six more wells by mid-1997 on its Turkey Creek Austin chalk prospect in Grimes County.

Nuevo believes 1996 drilling has hiked prospect reserves to 12 bcf of gas equivalent as of June 30, up from 7.6 bcfge last Jan. 1. Seven wells are producing.

The interests were not included in Nuevo's recent sale of Austin chalk holdings to Union Pacific Resources Group Inc.

A group led by Talon Development Co., Houston, planned to spud the 1 Rob Welder, a 12,500 ft Eocene Wilcox sand exploratory test near Nursery in Victoria County around July 15.

The group, including Hall-Houston Oil Co., LCT Partners, and Karnes Oil & Gas, successfully completed 12 of 13 shallower wells in the county since March 1996 on a 25 sq mile 3D seismic project, says American Energy Partners Inc., Dallas. Seven more shallow locations are to be drilled.

Unit Petroleum Co., Tulsa, plans to start a third well in third quarter 1996 in Palacios field of Matagorda County.

The second well, 2 Clardy, flowed 1.265 MMcfd of gas and 25.3 b/d of condensate with 2,860 psi FTP from Oligocene Frio F1 sand at 8,810-34 ft without treatment.

The first well, Unit's 1B Nelson, 1 mile northeast, is selling 1.15 MMcfd of gas and 22 b/d of condensate from Frio F2 sand. Logs indicate that zone is behind pipe in the 2 Clardy. Unit owns more than 4,000 net acres on the prospect.

Panhandle

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. completed a horizontally redrilled well for gas from Permian Brown dolo- mite in West Panhandle field in Carson County.

The 1-12A Sanford,, flowed 6.069 MMcfd of gas from open hole at 2,414-3,225 ft measured depth. CAOF exceeded 57 MMcfd.

The well, initially a 1990 vertical completion, had produced about 500 MMcf of gas from the zone.

Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.