Amoco adds to list of strikes in area off eastern Trinidad

Amoco Trinidad's 1995 - 96 Discoveries [73631 bytes]

Amoco Trinidad Oil Co. is amassing a large supply of gas in the Caribbean with a string of offshore discoveries east of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T).

The company in mid-April disclosed its sixth gas strike off Trinidad. Its 1995-96 exploratory drilling program next will test the Claro offshore prospect, west of its Cassia field. Cassia is about 40 miles southeast of Trinidad.

Amoco Trinidad estimates gas reserves in fields found so far in its 1995-96 exploration program total 3-4 tcf. Combined with estimated reserves of 3 tcf booked in 1994-95 exploration, the company estimates it could supply a market twice the size of T&T's current consumption, as wells as 100% of capacity for the next 20 years of the first liquefaction train in a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project on Trinidad.

In addition to the gas discoveries, the company in the past 3 years has found more than 100 million bbl of oil and condensate off T&T, all resulting from 3D seismic data generated through internally developed technology.

Amoco Trinidad is T&T's leading gas producer with 350 MMcfd from seven fields. The company also produces about 60,000 b/d of low sulfur crude oil.

National Gas Co. of Trinidad & Tobago buys and distributes the gas, while Amoco Trinidad exports the oil.

Latest strike

In its most recent announcement, Amoco Trinidad said its 5X East Mayaro (5X EM) well flowed a combined 64 MMcfd of gas and 3,700 b/d of oil and condensate from two deep zones in an untested fault block.

A sidetrack of the 5 East Mayaro (5 EM) wildcat in 275 ft of water about 45 miles east of Trinidad's Galeota Point, 5X EM marked the sixth discovery in six tests in the company's 1995-96 exploration program. The company owns 100% interest in all six wells, five of which are on its 244,000 acre South block and one on its 658,000 acre North block.

The 5X EM flowed 32 MMcfd of gas and 1,900 b/d of oil and condensate through a 48/64 in. choke from 300 ft of perforations in a sand at about 13,800 ft. On tests of a shallower sand the well flowed 31.8 MMcfd of gas and 1,800 b/d of condensate through a 48/64 in. choke from about 100 ft of perforations.

Amoco drilled 5X EM to 15,613 ft measured depth.

Neil McCleary, general manager of Amoco Trini- dad's LNG upstream project, said seismic data show another fault block in the field that could add still more reserves to discoveries by 5 EM and 5X EM.

The company has begun working up a series of oil prospects for next year's exploration program off T&T.

Discoveries reviewed

Before 5X EM, Amoco Trinidad had disclosed a series of recent offshore exploratory successes.

The company reported its fifth straight gas discovery east of Trinidad after its 1 Lantana wildcat cut 388 ft of gas bearing sands in five zones above 15,688 ft.

The well is in 350 ft of water about 50 miles east of Galeota Point. The company didn't test the well because reservoir sands were similar to those in previous discoveries, which on tests flowed 27-33 MMcfd of gas.

Amoco Trinidad's 5 EM wildcat found oil and gas at a site in 290 ft of water about 45 miles east of Galeota Point, and 1 Corallita found gas in 357 ft of water about 8 miles southeast of 5 EM.

The 5 EM cut 565 ft of pay in five zones above 13,315 ft. The well flowed 3,400 b/d of oil through a 32/64 in. choke from a 35 ft perforated interval in a 90 ft section of deep sand. The well also flowed 34.9 MMcfd of gas through a 48/64 in. choke from a shallower sand. The three other pays had gas bearing sands.

The 1 Corallita wildcat cut 1,200 ft of gas sands in five zones above 15,124 ft, the deepest of which flowed 27.4 MMcfd through a 34/64 in. choke. Another sand at an undisclosed depth flowed 33 MMcfd through a 44/64 in. choke.

Amoco Trinidad's 1 El Diablo wildcat flowed 27.2 MMcfd through a 5/8 in. choke with 2,522 psi flowing tubing pressure, after cutting 540 ft of gas bearing sands in six zones above 13,100 ft at a site in 206 ft of water about 35 miles northeast of Galeota Point.

El Diablo was the second discovery in the company's 1995-96 exploration program. The first success, 4 NEQB, was not tested.