Area Drilling

Bulgaria

The Texaco group has finished drilling and testing in the Black Sea and are analyzing results for profitability, local press reports suggested.

Texaco, Enterprise Oil, OMV, and Bulgaria's Committee of Geology and Mineral Resources, found gas with two wells, Galata 1 and 2. Galata 2 went to TD 3,530 ft and found a gas reservoir with low carbon dioxide, no hydrogen sulfide, and no water. An 8 day pressure drawdown test was run.

The four partners are quoted as being optimistic that the reservoir is good quality and that enough data exist to assess commerciality.

Cuba

Pebercam, a Canadian company, has drawn up an exploration plan calling for 15 wildcats on six onshore blocks.

Gerard Bourgoin, a French investor and Pebercam president, said the Montreal firm expects to sink the first well at the end of February 1997.

The U.S. Helms-Burton Act, which imposes penalties on executives of companies profiting from Cuban assets of American companies that were expropriated after Cuba's revolution in 1959, will not affect Pebercam because the blocks to be explored have no pending claims under the law, Burgoin said.

Several companies from Canada, the U.K. and France, among others, are working on exploration and/or enhanced recovery programs in Cuba, said the national oil company, Cupet. However, results thus far have been poor.

The last discovery, an offshore well (Cupei 1X) completed at end 1995 for an initial test of 3,700 b/d of 16° gravity crude, is not likely to have a significant impact on the country's serious shortage of crude.

Cuba now produces around 30,000 b/d of crude and depends on imports for 80% of the crude and refined products it consumes.

Egypt

Egypt has three more gas discoveries in the Nile delta offshore.

Agip's IEOC unit and Amoco Egypt Oil Co. made two Pliocene discoveries on the El Temsah concession, operated by IEOC (see map, OGJ, Aug. 26, p. 61).

Karous 1, 40 km north-northwest of Port Said in the central part of the concession, flowed 16 MMcfd of gas from 1,300 m.

The Tuna 1, 70 km north-northwest of Port Said, flowed 12 MMcfd of gas from 1,100 m. Both wells were tested on small chokes to limit sand production.

The two discoveries are expected to add about 1 tcf of gas to the reserves of the offshore Nile Delta basin.

The third discovery is the Nidoco 9, on the West Abu Madi development lease. Petrobel operates on behalf of IEOC, Amoco Egypt, and Marathon Petroleum Nile Delta Ltd.

The discovery well, 3 km offshore, encountered gas and condensate in the Messinian (Late Miocene) Abu Madi formation at 3,400 m.

Production capacity is estimated to reach 30 MMcfd of gas plus 500 b/d of condensate. The well cut a 102 ft gas column with a net pay of 92 ft at 11,155 ft (OGJ, Nov. 18, p. 27).

After completion the well should be tied to the El Qara production facilities.

Investments by Italian ENI and Agip in Egypt are undergoing a big expansion. During the next 4 years they are to reach about $1.1 billion for the exploitation of recent oil discoveries and the development of gas deposits in the Nile delta.

Falkland Islands

IPC Falklands Ltd., a unit of International Petroleum Corp., Dubai, and Sands Petroleum AB began acquisition of 1,600 km of 2D seismic data on offshore Tranche F north of the Falkland Islands (see map, OGJ, Nov. 4, p. 42).

This is the first oil company acquisition of new offshore 2D data in Falklands waters.

Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.