Trinidad

BHP Billiton Ltd. made a gas discovery with the first deepwater well drilled off the east coast of Trinidad on the LeClerc prospect. The #1 STO1 LeClerc was drilled in deepwater Block 5 to 6,973 m (22,877 ft). The well hit gas in multiple zones and is the first of three deepwater exploration wells in Trinidad’s southern offshore region of the Caribbean Sea. The company has announced that the prospect could hold up to 5 Bbbl of oil in place and could produce at least 100 Mboe/d. Up to eight additional wells are planned by BHP, with a second well already underway. BHP Billiton is the operator of Block 5 and the LeClerc discovery well with 65% interest. Shell Oil Co. holds the remaining interest.

Guyana

Exxon Mobil reported that the second exploration well #2-Liza has recoverable resources of between 800 MMboe and 1.4 Bboe. The Stabroek Block has confirmed that the Liza Field offshore Guyana extends at least halfway to the neighboring Orinduik Block to the southwest and contains hydrocarbons. The #2-Liza was the second of at least four exploratory and appraisal wells. It encountered more than 58 m (190 ft) of oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs in Upper Cretaceous formations. The well was drilled to 5,475 m (17,963 ft) in a water depth of 1,692 m (5,551 ft). Exxon Mobil operates the Stabroek Block and Liza wells with 45% interest with partners Hess Corp. (30%) and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (25%).

Canada

Statoil Canada has completed a 19-month offshore Newfoundland exploration drilling program in Bay du Nord and Flemish Pass. The drilling program consisted of four exploration wells in close vicinity to the Bay du Nord discovery and three appraisal wells on the discovery. In addition, two exploration wells were drilled in areas outside the Bay du Nord discovery. Two oil discoveries were completed at the Bay de Verde and Baccalieu prospects in the Bay du Nord area, which add to the resource base for a potential development at the Bay du Nord discovery. Appraisal and near-field exploration of the Bay du Nord find has confirmed that the volumes are within the original volume estimate of 300 MMbbl to 600 MMbbl of recoverable oil. Only 17 wells have been drilled in the basin, which covers about 30,000 sq km (11,583 sq miles). Work is underway to evaluate results at the recently completed #1-Baccalieu. Statoil is the operator of the Bay du Nord and Flemish Pass discoveries with 65% interest with partner Husky Energy Inc. (35%).

Morocco

A gas discovery was confirmed in the Tendrara license area onshore Morocco by Sound Energy Plc. The first Tendrara well, #6-TE, was drilled to 2,665 m (8,743 ft), encountering the top of the structure and about 28 m (92 ft) of net gas pay in the TAGI reservoir. A stabilized gas flow rate of 481,386 cu. m/d (17 MMcf/d) was reported after unspecified stimulation. The bottomhole pressure in the reservoir was 6,092 psi and correlates with all of the wells previously drilled in the license area. No gas/water contact has been identified. A second well at #7-Tendrara is using sub-horizontal drilling techniques and is expected to significantly increase the individual well flow. The operator also is planning an extended well test. The company has a net effective interest of 27.5% in the Tendrara license.

Norway

Statoil reported that it has struck pay at Oseberg Sor in its Krafla campaign in Block 30/11, PL035 and PL272 in the Norwegian North Sea. The find was made with wildcat exploration wells #30/11-14 and #30/11-14B, which are southeast of the Krafla discovery well, #30/11-8S. Well #30/11- 14 encountered a 23-m (75-ft) and a 6-m (19.6-ft) gas column in the upper section of Tarbert. Well #30/11-14B encountered a 38-m (124.6-ft) and a 12-m (39-ft) gas/oil column and a 13-m (42.6-ft) oil column in the upper part of Tarbert. Preliminary estimates indicate that that #30/11-14 has 6.29 MMboe to 12.58 MMboe, and #30/11- 14 B has 12.58 MMboe to 31.45 MMboe. The #30/11-14 was drilled to 3,438 m (11,279.5 ft), and the #30/11- 14 B was drilled to 4,187 m (13,737 ft) in water depth of 107 m (351 ft). The wells will be permanently plugged and abandoned. Statoil is the operator of PL035/272, Block 30/11 and these wells with 50% interest in partnership with Det Norske Oljeselskap (50%).

Mozambique

Wentworth Resources Ltd. received approval for an appraisal well of gas discovery #1-Tembo in Mozambique’s Rovuma onshore concession. Under the two-year appraisal period, Wentworth becomes the operator of the concession and increases its participation interest from 11.59% to 85%. State-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos retains the remaining 15% as a carried partner through to the commencement of commercial operations. Work will begin with reprocessing about 1,000 km (621 miles) of existing seismic data. In 2017 the company will acquire at least 500 km (311 miles) of new 2-D seismic data, with an appraisal well planned in 2018.

Pakistan

In the Guddu Block in Pakistan, Jura Energy Corp. has announced results from exploration well #1-Khamiso, which was drilled to 753 m (2,470 ft) in the Eocene Pirkoh Limestone. It produced 83,535 cu. m/d (2.95 MMcf/d) of gas during testing on a 32⁄64-in. choke with an average wellhead flowing pressure of 505 psi. A post-completion acid stimulation test is planned. Jura holds a 13.5% working interest in the Guddu Block, which is operated by Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd.

India

Essar Energy Plc has made a discovery of 226 Bcm (8 Tcf) of original in-place shale gas resources beneath its coalbed methane (CBM) reserves in the Raniganj East Block in West Bengal, India. The discovery is in addition to the estimated 30.8 Bcm (1.09 Tcf) in CBM reserves. According to Essar, there is a 20% to 25% recovery factor, and the CBM and shale gas resources can be produced simultaneously. Essar is the operator of the Raniganj Block with 100% interest.

Indonesia

An offshore Indonesia appraisal well, #4XSLT1-AAL, has produced 828 bbl/d of oil during a drillstem test. According to operator Santos Ltd., production is from a 3.5-m (11-ft) interval in a G Sand reservoir, and the well was tested on a 64⁄64-in. choke with assistance from an electrical submersible pump. The targeted G Sand reservoir is estimated to contain 289 MMbbl of oil in place with 36 MMbbl of gross recoverable oil. Bulk oil samples indicated a specific gravity of 10.7°API, with produced gas and water too low to measure. Preliminary analysis of the wireline log data indicates an 8-m (26-ft) oil column in G Sand and an excellent-quality reservoir with no oil/ water contact. Operations are now underway to perform a second drillstem test in the main AAL Field K Sand reservoir. The well is in about 72 m (236 ft) of water in the Natuna Sea.

Japan

Another round of testing offshore production of gas hydrates is planned by Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corp. in Japan. A drillship will drill two production wells and two monitoring wells near the last production test site in about 1,000 m (3,281 ft) of water. These tests were at the Daini-Atsumi Knoll in the eastern Nankai Trough.

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