Units of Mobil Corp. and United Meridian Corp. (UMC), Houston, have gauged more than 11,000 b/d of oil at a field extension off Equatorial Guinea.
Mobil-UMC's 1 Topacio well flowed 11,055 b/d of 28.5 gravity oil and 4.2 MMcfd of gas from Pliocene Qua Iboe pay at 5,806 ft. The well is a 3 mile south extension to Zafiro field, discovered by the combine's 1 Zafiro, Equatorial Guinea's first significant oil strike (see map, OGJ, Mar. 27, 1995, p. 24).
Zafiro field is on the 547,000 acre Block B in the Gulf of Guinea.
The 1 Zafiro flowed 10,500 b/d of oil and 3.4 MMcfd of gas in tests of Qua Iboe pay. Site is about 18 miles from Mobil Qua Iboe production off Nigeria.
Block B operator Mobil Oil Equatorial Guinea Inc. and UMC Equatorial Guinea Corp. late in 1995 unveiled a phased development plan for Zafiro field (OGJ, Oct. 23, 1995, p. 36). Gross oil production in Phase 1 of the plan approved by the government is to reach 40,000 b/d from eight wells.
Mobil in November 1995 let a 3 year contract to a unit of Oceaneering International Inc., Houston, for a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel to be used in Zafiro (OGJ, Dec. 11, 1995, p. 37). Oceaneering is converting a 268,000 dwt tanker at a cost of about $70 million for the job.
Plans call for outfitting the FPSO with two 40,000 b/d production trains to process Zafiro oil. The vessel will have oil storage capacity of 1.2 million bbl and a 12 point spread mooring system for installation in 565 ft of water in the field. Production will be offloaded through a floating hose to export tankers to be moored in tandem with the FPSO.
Zafiro production is to begin in second half 1996.
Zafiro activity
Partners suspended 1 Topacio for future production and plan to spud the 2 Topacio late this month.
In addition to 1 Zafiro and 1 Topacio, Mobil and UMC have drilled the 1 Opalo wildcat and two Zafiro appraisal wells on Block B.
The 1 Opalo last summer flowed a combined 7,818 b/d of 39 gravity oil from two deep Qua Iboe zones on a separate structure 2 miles northeast of 1 Zafiro (OGJ, Aug. 7, 1995, p. 37).
The 3 Zafiro flowed 10,237 b/d of oil from Qua Iboe pay about 1/2 mile southwest of 1 Zafiro. Partners did not test 2 Zafiro but cased the appraisal for future production after encountering a thin Zafiro oil sand and a deeper pay.
Oil gravities of the Zafiro appraisal wells ranged from 28 to 30.
Wood MacKenzie Consultants Ltd., Edinburgh, in fourth quarter 1995 estimated Zafiro oil reserves at 100 million bbl but said upside potential was thought to be considerable (OGJ, Nov. 13, 1995, p. 36).
Mobil and UMC drilled an earlier wildcat on Block B. The 1 Delta, which tested a separate structure about 5 miles southwest of 1 Zafiro, was a dry hole.
Since acquiring an additional 10% interest in Block B early in fourth quarter 1995, operator Mobil holds a 75% interest. UMC holds the other 25%.
Mobil in April 1994 acquired a 65% interest from UMC in the Block B production sharing contract and became operator of the tract.
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