By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 12 -- Amerada Hess Corp. continues to strike pay off West Africa, announcing this week a successful appraisal well in the eastern portion of Elon field off Equatorial Guinea. The well, drilled in 165 ft of water, encountered 316 ft of net oil pay in a single, continuous column, the company said.
The well confirms the Elon G-8 discovery reported earlier this year that found 157 ft of net oil pay. (OGJ Online, June 19, 2002). Elon field is on Block G in the Rio Muni basin, 15 miles northeast of Amerada Hess's Ceiba field and 6 miles southeast of the Akom discovery made in late February.
The successful appraisal increases the areal extent and size of Elon field and will be incorporated into the development plan that Amerada Hess will submit to the Equatorial Guinea government for approval. In addition to Elon, that submission includes development plans for Okuume, Oveng, Ebano, Akom, and Abang fields in the northern part of the prolific Block G.
New York City-based Amerada Hess has an 85% working interest in Block G and adjacent Block F and is operator of both. Amerada Hess's partner in the blocks, Energy Africa Ltd. of South Africa, holds the remaining 15% working interest. The government of Equatorial Guinea will have a carried 5% participating interest in any commercial production from the field.
