GARNET SCHEDULES INCREASE IN COLOMBIAN E&D PROGRAM

Garnet Resources Corp., Houston, is poised to step up its exploration and development campaign on a 344,000 acre tract in Colombia's Putumayo basin.

Garnet's plans this year on Santana Block B include asking state oil company Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos (Ecopetrol) to declare Mary and Miraflor fields commercial and drilling four development wells in Toroyaco and Linda, Santana B's two commercial fields.

In addition, Argosy Energy International, Garnet's operating subsidiary in Colombia, since December 1992 has been preparing the first of two wildcat drillsites north-northeast of Miraflor field. A third wildcat could be spudded this year in the same area.

Possible commerciality of Mary and Miraflor fields received a boost last month when tests of the 2 Mary delineation well indicated the reservoir likely will produce 5,300-5,500 b/d of oil from four zones. Three of the zones tested were new pays for Mary field and the fourth zone a confirmation of the pay in the 1 Mary discovery, about 1/2 mile the east.

Plans to increase Santana B exploration and production are supported by a barge ferry crossing completed in January 1993 on the Caqueta River. The river cuts across Santana B, separating Toroyaco and Linda fields from Mary and Miraflor.

The ferry crossing has greatly improved the economics of moving drilling and completion equipment and supplies to Santana B's remote jungle drillsites.

SANTANA B DRILLING

Drilling was scheduled to begin by the end of February on the 3 Toroyaco development well. The rig is to drill continuously in Toroyaco and Linda fields, possibly completing the 3 Linda, 4 Toroyaco, and 4 Linda development wells before yearend.

Garnet estimates 4 Toroyaco will be on line by June, adding 1,500-1,700 b/d of oil to Santana B production.

At yearend 1992, combined Toroyaco and Linda production amounted to about 3,000 b/d. After starting commercial production from the fields in April 1992, Garnet's cumulative output by yearend reached 714,000 bbl, including 150,000 bbl net to Garnet.

In addition to development drilling in Toroyaco and Linda, Garnet expects to spud during first quarter 1993 the 1 North Miraflor wildcat. Drillsite is about 4 km north of the 1 Miraflor discovery well. As many as two more North Miraflor wildcats could be spudded this year.

Garnet has two completion rigs operating on Santana B, one on an extended test of 2 Mary and another rigging up for an extended test of 1 Victoria. Pending approval of Ecopetrol, 2 Mary testing could continue through midyear.

Garnet drilled 1 Victoria last year 1 mile east of 1 Mary and 3 miles south of 1 Miraflor. To save money, tests of the well were delayed until Garnet installed and began operating the Caqueta ferry.

Garnet Pres. George M. Nevers estimates that delaying 1 Victoria tests saved $300,000-500,000, plus as much as $1 million for each future Santana B well tested north of the Caqueta River.

Results of 1 Victoria testing are expected during second quarter 1993.

MARY, MIRAFLOR

Garnet has completed a feasibility study and preliminary engineering of development plans to get under way once Ecopetrol declares Mary and Miraflor fields commercial.

Two pipeline projects are key to expanding Santana B production.

Garnet intends to build an 18 km, 8 in. line to gather Mary and Miraflor crude and ship it across the Caqueta River for delivery into a 9 km transfer pipeline in Toroyaco and Linda fields. Laying the pipeline, including the Caqueta River crossing, is expected to take 12-15 months. Capacity can be expanded with additional pump horsepower to about 40,000 b/d.

Since starting Toroyaco and Linda commercial production last April, Garnet has been trucking oil from a terminal at the southern end of the transfer line. Trucks discharge their cargos 35 km away into the trans-Andean pipeline for delivery to Colombia's Pacific coast, 300 miles away.

Combined Toroyaco, Linda, Mary, and Miraflor oil production will be too much for Garnet to continue trucking oil from Santana B to the trans-Andean line. So a sales pipeline must be built linking Santana B with the trans-Andean export line.

"By mid-1994, the plan would be to have fields on both sides of the river hooked directly into an export pipeline and all four fields on production," Nevers said. "Plus, we're hoping we'll have some more production by that time because we'll be drilling wildcat wells, as well."

PROMISE OF 2 MARY

Garnet on 2 Mary tested flow rates and swab rates. The company and independent engineers estimated 2 Mary production by extrapolating pumping rates for all apparently productive zones, based on reservoir data and comprehensive testing and production rates of previous Santana B wells.

In Villeta U sand at 7,469-7,520 ft, 2 Mary is a delineation well. Based on a flow rate of 763 b/d of 29.4 gravity oil, the well is expected to produce on pump about 2,500 b/d from Villeta U. Garnet's 1 Mary discovery tested at 1,700 b/d of oil.

Garnet said 2 Mary is a discovery well in:

• Caballos sand at 7,767-96 ft, which is expected to produce on pump 300-500 b/d of 27.4 gravity oil, based on test flows of 145 b/d. The closest Caballos production is from the 1 Linda discovery well about 5 1/2 miles south.

• Villeta T sand at 7,647-7,716 ft is expected to pump about 1,000 b/d of 27.4 gravity oil, based on test flows of 175-420 b/d. The nearest T sand production was recorded 4 miles north of 2 Mary.

• Upper U sand at 7,404-18 ft is expected to pump about 1,500 b/d of 28.7 oil, based on test flows of 553 b/d. The nearest Upper U sand production is 23 miles south.

In addition to Santana B, Garnet has an association contract with Ecopetrol on the 119,000 acre La Fragua block, a north offset to Santana B. Garnet said Fragua overlays part of the eastern Andes overthrust belt, similar to the overthrust belt at British Petroleum's Cusiana discovery, 400 miles northeast.

In addition, Garnet produces more than 600 b/d of oil from three older wells on the Nancy Burdine block, south of Santana B.

Copyright 1993 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.