Blog Archives
Gulf of Mexico: W&T Offshore Makes Discovery at Mahogany Field
W&T Offshore, Inc. announced that it has made a subsalt discovery in a deep shelf exploratory target beneath its Ship Shoal 349 “Mahogany” Field.
The SS 359 A-14 well has exceeded the Company’s expectations and is currently producing from the targeted T-Sand (in excess of 17,200′ total vertical depth), at an initial flow back rate of 3,030 barrels of oil per day and 5.6 million cubic feet of gas per day, for a total of approximately 4,000 barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day (3,310 Boe per day net of royalty to W&T) with a flowing tubing pressure of approximately 9,400 psi surface pressure. The T-Sand is the deepest sand discovered in this field, as there is additional pay identified in the M-Sand, N-Sand, and O-Sand, all of which represent future reserve additions to the Company. The well also penetrated a thicker than expected P-sand interval (the main field pay sand) which will also serve as a future recompletion. In total, the A-14 well logged over 370 feet of net oil pay, with the T-Sand accounting for 108 feet of the total net pay. Success from the A-14 T-sand will stimulate additional drilling in 2014 to exploit the four newly discovered oil sands that were encountered in the A-14 well. W&T holds a 100% working interest in the field.
Tracy Krohn, W&T Offshore’s Chairman and CEO, stated, “Our exploration team utilized our subsalt imaging technology to identify and deliver this subsalt discovery which is a deep shelf exploration extension to our producing Mahogany Field. This new oil discovery is part of our organic growth plan and adds substantial value to the Company. We found a very high quality oil sand in the T-sand reservoir with great flow characteristics. Another key value driver on this project is our ability to produce this discovery immediately through our existing infrastructure at Mahogany. We are evaluating additional targets in this highly prolific field based upon our continuing success and look forward to our next exploratory well at Mahogany, the A-15 well, which should begin drilling in in September.”
The platform rig at Mahogany is currently working on a major recompletion in the A-4 well, designed to bring a behind pipe P-Sand interval into production at an expected rate of 1,000 Boe per day, net of royalties to W&T with an anticipated production date of August or September. Following the A-4 recomplete the Company expects to spud the A-15 subsalt exploratory well, a multi-horizon target that is anticipated to encounter multiple stacked oil sand targets. The A-15 well is scheduled to reach total depth near the end of 2013 or early 2014 with a target IP rate of 1,390 Boe per day, net of royalty to W&T. The unrisked reserve potential associated with the A-15 well is anticipated to be in the range of 1.8 to 6.2 million Boe.
Noble Energy Makes Oil Discovery at Big Bend Prospect in U.S. Gulf
Noble Energy, Inc. today announced a discovery at the Big Bend exploration prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The well, located in 7,200 feet of water on Mississippi Canyon Block 698, was drilled to a total depth of 15,989 feet. Open-hole logging identified approximately 150 feet of net oil pay in two high-quality Miocene reservoirs.
Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy’s Chairman and CEO, said, “The discovery at Big Bend is an exciting follow-up to our recent success at Galapagos. The well results appear at least as good as our pre-drill mean resource expectations and de-risked our offset prospect Troubadour. The combination of excellent reservoir properties, fluid characteristics and our high working interest in this project will contribute significant production and cash flow for our business.”
Noble Energy operates with a 54 percent working interest in Big Bend. Other interest owners are W&T Energy VI, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of W&T Offshore Inc.) with 20 percent, Red Willow Offshore, LLC with 15.4 percent and Houston Energy Deepwater Ventures V, LLC with 10.6 percent.
Noble Energy Makes Oil Discovery at Big Bend Prospect in U.S. Gulf| Offshore Energy Today.
Corpus Christi, TX: Newly Built US Flag Vessel Makes First Call to Port Corpus Christi
Eagle Ford Shale continues to positively impact Port Corpus Christi and the U.S. economy. Yesterday, Wednesday, September 26, 2012, the M/V Pennsylvania, a newly built U.S. Flag vessel destined to move products related to Eagle Ford Shale in the region, made its first port of call to Port Corpus Christi. The tanker docked at Oil Dock 1.
The M/V Pennsylvania is one of two tankers purchased by Crowley Maritime Corporation’s petroleum and chemical transportation group as part of the Jones Act, from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA (Oslo: AKPS). The Pennsylvania was delivered early this month marking Crowley’s re-entry into the Jones Act tanker market after its last tanker was retired in 2011. The tankers, capable of carrying nearly 330,000 barrels of a wide variety of petroleum products and chemicals, are destined to operate in U.S. coastal trade.
“Eagle Ford Shale has made a great impact on the port’s operations. We are glad to see more U.S. Flag vessels sailing around our coasts and we are honored to welcome the M/V Pennsylvania to the port.” Said Mike Carrell, Chairman Port of Corpus Christi.
The U.S.-flagged vessel is the 13th in the Veteran Class built at Aker. This proven design provides Crowley customers with ABS-classed vessels that have been thoroughly tested and refined for performance and reliability. With a length of 183.2 m, a breadth of 32.2 m, and a depth of 18.8 m, the tankers come in at 45,800 deadweight tons with a draft of 12.2 m. Powered by the first Tier II large-bore engines, MAN-B&W 6S50MCs, the speed of the Pennsylvania and the Florida is expected to average 14.5+ knots. In addition to being double hulled with segregated ballast systems, safety features also include water and CO2 firefighting systems, as well as a foam water spray system.
Crowley has a long history of transporting petroleum products and chemicals by tanker and articulated tug barge (ATB). Until 2011, Crowley owned and operated Jones Act product tankers that safely carried petroleum products and chemicals. Crowley has also proven itself an innovator and leader in the industry through the development of an unrivaled ATB fleet, which includes some of the newest and most sophisticated ATBs in the market. As of 2013, Crowley will own and operate 17 ATBs, which include 155,000-barrel, 185,000-barrel and 330,000-barrel capacity tank vessels. Crowley has safely and reliably operated all of these Jones Act tankers and ATBs on the U.S. Gulf, East, and West coasts under voyage and time charters with leading companies in the petroleum and chemical industries.
World Maritime News – Newly Built US Flag Vessel Makes First Call to Port Corpus Christi.
Gulf of Mexico: Helix Energy Makes New Discovery
Helix Energy Solutions Group announced an oil discovery at the Danny II exploration well at the Bushwood Field located in Garden Banks Block 506, approximately 145 miles offshore from Galveston, Texas. The Danny II exploration well encountered more than 70 feet of high quality net pay.
Johnny Edwards, President of Energy Resource Technology GOM (ERT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Helix, stated, “Preliminary data from down-hole test tools confirmed oil in the Danny II well with over 9,500 psi of bottom-hole pressure. Additional testing to determine the composition of the reservoir fluids is on-going. We will provide an update on Danny II after completion.”
The Danny II exploration well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 14,750 feet, in water depths of approximately 2,800 feet. The well is currently being completed and most likely will be developed via a subsea tie back system to the 70% owned and operated East Cameron Block 381 platform located approximately 31 miles to the north in 370 feet of water. First production from Danny II is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Helix holds a 50% working interest in the exploration well jointly with Deep Gulf Energy LP (Operator) and Deep Gulf Energy II, LLC (both First Reserve Corporation and Quintana Capital backed entities), who own the other 50% working interest.
Helix Energy Solutions Group, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is an international offshore energy company that provides key life of field services to the energy market as well as to its own oil and gas business unit.
Related articles
- USA-GOM: Galapagos Production Rates Above Forecast (mb50.wordpress.com)
- GoM Lease Sale: Apache Expands Presence in Gulf of Mexico (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Express arrives offshore Israel for SURF work (mb50.wordpress.com)
- USA: Statoil Secures 26 New Leases in Gulf of Mexico (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Helix’s EXPRESS Commences Subsea Installation Work Offshore Israel [IMAGES] (gcaptain.com)
- PHOTOS: Express installing subsea manifolds ” Helix Currents (mb50.wordpress.com)
Repsol Sinopec Makes High-Impact Discovery Off Brazil
Statoil together with operator Repsol Sinopec and partner Petrobras has confirmed a high-impact discovery (*) in the Pão de Açúcar prospect offshore Brazil.
The partnership announced today that it has made a high impact discovery in the Pão de Açúcar prospect located in the BM-C-33 block in the Campos Basin. The well, drilled by the Stena DrillMAX drillship, is located some 195 kilometres offshore Rio de Janeiro State in 2,800 meters of water.
The Pão de Açúcar well encountered two pre-salt accumulations comprising a hydrocarbon column of 480 meters with a total pay of around 350 meters. A test performed in a partial section of the pay zone flowed 5,000 barrels per day of light oil and 28.5 million cubic feet per day of gas. This was a choked Drill Stem Test (DST) with very limited drawdown. The Pão de Açúcar discovery is the third find made in the BM-C-33 block after Seat and Gávea and confirms the area’s high potential.
“The development potential of the Pão and Gávea discoveries will now be evaluated by the partnership. This discovery increases our understanding of the pre-salt potential in the Campos Basin and improves our confidence in the recently acquired acreage position in the pre-salt Kwanza basin of Angola,” says executive vice president for Exploration in Statoil, Tim Dodson.
“Statoil’s exploration strategy focuses on high impact opportunities and the deepening of core areas. The Pão de Açúcar success shows that we are delivering on our strategy,” continues Dodson.
“Statoil has clear ambitions to grow in Brazil through new exploration opportunities. The Pão discovery will become an important building block in our growth ambitions,” says Kjetil Hove, country president for Statoil in Brazil.
Repsol Sinopec is operator of the exploration consortium with a 35% stake. Partners Statoil and Petrobras hold respective 35% and 30% shares.
Statoil is also the operator of the Peregrino field in Brazil, which came on stream in April 2011.
The Pão discovery is the sixth high impact discovery made by Statoil in the last 12 months. The other discoveries are Skrugard and Havis in the Barents Sea, Johan Sverdrup (former Aldous/Avaldsnes) in the North Sea, Peregrino South in Brazil and Zafarani in Tanzania.
(*) ”High-impact well” = a total of more than 250 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), or 100 million boe net to Statoil.
Related articles
- Petrobras Announces New Discovery in Carioca Area, Offshore Brazil (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Petrobras Discovers Oil at Tucura Well, Campos Basin, Offshore Brazil (mb50.wordpress.com)
Pacific Rubiales Makes Gas Discovery in Colombia
Pacific Rubiales Energy said today that it has discovered natural gas and condensate in the Cotorra-1X exploration well, drilled on the Guama Block in the Lower Magdalena basin.
The Company has 100% working interest in the block and is the operator.
Ronald Pantin, Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: “this is an important exploration discovery for Pacific Rubiales and demonstrates the potential of both the Guama block and Lower Magdalena basin where the Company has a large exploration acreage position and is looking to increase its gas reserves to support its initiative to develop an LNG export market in the future.”
The Cotorra-1X well was drilled as an exploratory well after an earlier exploration success on the block, the Pedernalito-1X well drilled in 2010. The well targeted Porquero Medio sands and silts of Miocene age, a low-permeability play successfully tested by Pedernalito-1X. Cotorra-1X was drilled to a total depth of 7210 feet in mid-January. The petrophysical evaluation showed a total of 40 feet of net pay, with average 20% porosity.
The well was perforated only in the deeper pay zone, across two intervals; leaving overlying pay zones untested for further evaluation.
After clean-up while flowing through a 1/2″ choke, Cotorra-1X reached a maximum gas flow rate of 7.5 MMcf/d and 370 bbl/d 56 degrees API condensate, followed by a three-stage isochronal and one extended flow test through 12/64″ choke which flowed at 2.6 MMcf/d and 121 bbl/d condensate at 3137 psi well head pressure.
During the month, the Company also completed drilling the Apamate-2X exploration well on its 100 percent owned and operated La Creciente Block. The well failed to test hydrocarbon flow at economic rates and was plugged and abandoned.
Articles
- Pacific Rubiales Energy Announces Exploration Success at La Creciente Block (Colombia)
- Santos: Spar-2 Appraisal Well Confirms Spar Field Upside (Australia)
- Dana Petroleum Provides Drilling Update on Cormoran-1 Well (Mauritania)
- India: RIL Finds Gas, Condensate in Cauvery-Palar Region
- Brunei: Total Announces New Gas and Condensate Discovery in Offshore Block B
Anadarko Makes Substantial Gas Discovery Offshore Mozambique
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation today announced the successful Barquentine-3 appraisal well encountered more than 662 net feet (202 meters) of natural gas pay in two high-quality Oligocene-aged fan systems, significantly expanding the estimated recoverable resource range to 15 to 30+ trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas, with an estimated 30 to 50+ Tcf of natural gas in place.
Barquentine-3 marks the sixth successful penetration in the complex that includes the Windjammer, Lagosta, Barquentine and Camarao discoveries.
“The positive results of each appraisal well that we have drilled and analyzed have continued to increase our estimate of recoverable resources and natural gas in place on our block, and to add to our confidence that this could be one of the most important natural gas fields discovered in the last 10 years, with significant long-term benefits for Mozambique,” said Anadarko Chairman and CEO Jim Hackett. “In parallel, we’ve continued to advance an expandable LNG (liquefied natural gas) development that will support this world-class field. This is great news for Mozambique, as our ongoing activities will continue to spur meaningful investment in the region, generate significant revenue for the government and offer a multitude of opportunities for the people of Mozambique.”
Anadarko President and Chief Operating Officer, Al Walker, added, “The results of Barquentine-3 indicate that we continue to encounter very thick sands with high-quality rock throughout these massive, connected reservoirs. Recoverable resources of this size and quality are perfectly suited for a large-scale LNG development, which is currently being designed to consist of at least two trains with the flexibility to expand to six trains. We also plan to leverage our experience with Independence Hub by constructing an offshore hub facility that will be tied back to the LNG plant onshore. We are already nearing the completion of the pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) activity and expect to begin FEED work in the near future. Simultaneously, we have analyzed our two new 3D seismic datasets and are excited to have the rig commitments in place to continue our appraisal work while accelerating our exploration activities, including testing a growing number of high-potential prospects in other areas of the Offshore Area 1.”
Anadarko is in the process of mobilizing the Deepwater Millennium drillship to accelerate its activity in the Offshore Area 1. The company also recently signed a four-year contract extension that will keep the Belford Dolphin drillship working in the basin as part of its ongoing program.
The Barquentine-3 appraisal well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 13,400 feet (4,084 meters) in water depths of approximately 5,170 feet (1,575 meters). The well is located approximately 2.75 miles (4.4 kilometers) southeast of the Barquentine discovery well and approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) south of the Barquentine-2 appraisal well. The partnership will preserve Barquentine-3 for use as a monitor well during its upcoming testing program. The drillship will next move to top set the Barquentine-4 appraisal well.
Related articles
- Dolphin Drilling to Provide Two Drillships for Anadarko’s Mozambique Operations (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Anadarko Ups Reserve Estimates in Mozambique (forbes.com)
- Anadarko Reports Successful Itaipu Appraisal, Offshore Brazil (mb50.wordpress.com)
- ENI makes huge gas find in Mozambique (mb50.wordpress.com)
Continents of the World
Mb50's "Liquid Mud" Rant 