EXPLORATION

ARGENTINA

Pluspetrol SA, Buenos Aires, plans to drill a second well for reserve evaluation near an exploratory well it completed in Salta province.

The 1001-X Lumbreras, in the Olleros area 80 km north of the capital of Salta, produced 630 b/d of oil from about 1,475 ft. It is believed to be the first use of slim hole drilling in Argentina, the company said.

Pluspetrol will continue exploration of this block and will explore in the neighboring Coronet Moldes and Yatasto areas, which cover 2.5 million acres in Salta province.

BOLIVIA

An affiliate of BHP Petroleum Pty. Ltd. plans to take a 50% interest in Maxus Energy Corp.'s 1.6 million acre Mamore 1 Block 125 miles northwest of Santa Cruz, where Surubi field is producing 2,700 b/d of oil from four wells. Further development is planned this year.

Maxus MU remain operator and each company will have 50% interest, subject to approval by Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos.

LOUISIANA

Vastar Resources Inc., formerly ARCO Oil & Gas Co., staked a wildcat in Cameron Parish.

Location for the I Miami Corp., in 31-13s-11w, is in a lightly drilled marsh between West Hackberry and Second Bayou fields, Petroleum Information reported. Projected total depth is 16,200 ft or Oligocene Miogypsinoides.

Kelley Oil Corp., Houston, completed a well in Sailes field of Bienville Parish.

The 1B Hamner Estate, in 35-17n-7w, flowed 10.1 MMcfd of gas with 35 b/d of condensate through a '/64 in. choke with 2,850 psi flowing tubing pressure from Cretaceous Hosston A and B perforations at 7,630-9,526 ft overall. It was placed on production at 4 MMcfd of gas, and shortly the rate was to be hiked after modification of pipeline facilities.

TEXAS

South

TransTexas Gas Corp., Houston, hooked up four more gas wells in Webb and Zapata counties.

The 42 BMT, in the La Rosita field area of Webb County, is flowing 4.9 MMcfd of gas with 6,000 psi flowing pressure from Eocene Lower Wilcox at 10,858884 ft.

The 38 and 40 Hereford wells, in Bashara-Hereford field of Webb County, each flowed at rates of 4.4-4.5 MMcfd of gas with 3,2003,500 psi pressure from Lower Wilcox at 7,392-556 ft and 7,460-614 ft, respectively.

The 2 Carrillo, in La Mangana field of Zapata County, flowed 4.4 MMcfd of gas with 3,575 psi pressure from Lower Wilcox at 8,270-8,824 ft.

East

DDD Energy Inc., a unit of Seitel Inc., Houston, has identified six potential prospects in the same Jurassic Smackover trend as Benchmark field of Freestone County. Two of the prospects are being drilled.

Reserves in Benchmark field are estimated at 51.5 bcf of gas, 65% methane, attributable to the discovery well completed earlier this year, and three offsets to be drilled, Seitel said. Forrest A. Garb & Associates Inc., Dallas, handled the evaluation.

Redman Operating Co., Dallas, opened the field at the I Turner 75 miles south-southeast of Dallas. The discovery well, to go on production by fourth quarter 1994, flowed 13-206 MMcfd of gas through a 24/64 in. choke with 4,271 psi flowing tubing pressure. Recalculated CAOF is 217 MMcfd, up from 83 MMcfd initially.

Two more offset locations are possible with further seismic evaluations.

The six potential Jurassic prospects are among more than 100 prospects that DDD has identified jointly with 400 operators.

OXY USA Inc., Tulsa, Okla., staked Gregg County's first horizontal well.

The 2 Willow Springs, 4 miles east of Longview in Willow Springs gas field, is aimed at Jurassic Cotton Valley gas at about 11,000 ft true vertical depth.

PI notes that OXY completed ?) vertical gas wells during 1993 in Willow Springs/White Oak fields, one of East Texas' most active plays the past few years (OGJ, Apr. 12, 1993, p. 26).

Ultra Oil & Gas, Austin, staked a remote wildcat in Hill County.

The I McCulloch, 8 miles west of Hillsboro, is projected to 4,000 ft or Paleozoics. It offsets to the northeast a well drilled more than 60 years ago to 3,080 ft, PI reported.

Gulf Coast

Daniels Corp., Houston, completed an exploratory test in Galveston County.

The 2 Gayatt-Federal, 3 miles south of Dickinson, flowed 229 b/d of 38.8 gravity oil with 143 Mcfd of gas through a 19/64 in. choke with 190 psi flowing tubing pressure from Oligocene Frio perforations at 8,903-14 ft and 8,918-21 ft, PI reported.