Subsalt exploration interest spreading outside Gulf of Mexico

July 14, 1997

While most of the subsalt exploration focus is in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, other portions of the world are seeing a share of the interest. In fact, operators' experience in the gulf may prove to be the testing ground for subsalt work elsewhere. Subsalt exploration is under way off West Africa and planned off East Africa's tiny Eritrea, as well as in the Barents Sea off Norway. In related activity, Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp., one of the largest subsalt leaseholders in the

While most of the subsalt exploration focus is in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, other portions of the world are seeing a share of the interest.

In fact, operators' experience in the gulf may prove to be the testing ground for subsalt work elsewhere.

Subsalt exploration is under way off West Africa and planned off East Africa's tiny Eritrea, as well as in the Barents Sea off Norway. In related activity, Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp., one of the largest subsalt leaseholders in the Gulf of Mexico, is applying its experience in the search for oil under basalt formations in Jordan.

Africa action

One subsalt exploration program is slated off Gabon, where units of Amoco Corp. and Phillips Petroleum Co. recently won a production-sharing contract (PSC) for the 2.4-million acre Gryphon Marin Block. The block is an extension of the subsalt play on the Phoenix Block, which Amoco also operates.

Off Eritrea, Anadarko in 1995 signed an agreement with the government for subsalt exploration in the Red Sea. Last year, it signed a PSC with Jordan. Anadarko hopes to apply subsalt technology to exploring beneath mostly igneous basalt formations on the 4.2-million acre Safawi Block in northeastern Jordan.

The basalt has typically blocked exploration underlying energy- poor Jordan. Plans call for two stratigraphic test wells this year to determine the extent of high-quality rocks and sands, prior to an extensive seismic survey.

Barents Sea action

Still another area where players hope to find new promise under the salt- after years of disappointing results above it-is in Norway's Barents Sea.

Among the areas targeted is the Nordkapp basin, northeast of the Hammerfest basin, where most discoveries have been made.

Activity will focus initially on extensive mapping of the little-explored area.

To date, 523 wells drilled in the Barents have yielded only 16 discoveries with estimated reserves of 160 million bbl of oil and 263 bcf of gas.

Due to the area's remoteness, however, no viable method of commercial development has been found. Two wildcats are planned this year, but the drilling season is short because of environmental restrictions imposed during April-August.