Mexico

According to Oil and Gas International, a new onshore discovery has been reported by Pemex in Tabasco, Mexico. The #1-Pareto exploratory well was drilled to 7,124 meters and hit hydrocarbons between 6,100-7,130 meters in Lower Cretaceous limestone and Upper Jurassic dolomites. Flow testing confirmed that the initial production rate will be 3,700 bbl. per day of oil and 8 million cu. ft. per day of gas. Pemex may further explore southeastern Mexico's Tertiary basins, where there are indications of other potentially oil-bearing structures. Pemex is based in Mexico City.

Cuba

The first of five deepwater exploratory tests have been planned in the Cuban sector of the Gulf of Mexico. According to Oil and Gas International, the director of Cuba's Ministry of Basic Industry indicated the wells will be drilled between 2011 and 2014 in water depths between 400-1,500 meters. Cupet, the Cuban national oil company, and Repsol YPF of Madrid will be cooperating in the drilling program. Repsol had a noncommercial discovery during 2004 at #1-Yamagua I Block N27 in the Straits of Florida. Other companies planning Cuban deepwater wells are Petroleos de Venezuela and PetroVietnam. Cuba indicates that it may have 20 billion bbl. of oil offshore, although the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated 5 billion bbl. of oil.

Falkland Islands

A significant oil column was reported by Rockhopper Exploration Plc in appraisal well #14/10-4 in the Falkland Islands. According to the company, #14/10-4 encountered 108 ft. of net pay in good quality reservoir with 20% average porosity. The well was drilled to 9,190 ft. and found the oil-water contact level at 8,127 ft. The top of Sea Lion reservoir sands was encountered 216 ft. downdip from the #14/10-2 discovery well. Four main sands in the well totaled 351 ft. with a net-to-gross of 76%. In the uppermost of the four sands in the Sea Lion southern fan the company indicated that it found 98 ft. of net pay. In the main Sea Lion southern fan, 98 ft. of net pay has been encountered in the upper of the four sands, representing the main Sea Lion southern fan. The gross oil column now proven in the main Sea Lion southern fan is 341 ft. Rockhopper's headquarters are in London.

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras completed a formation test in the first extension well on Guara Field in the Santos Basin pre-salt, confirming the ultra-deepwater accumulation's high productivity estimates. During the test on #3-SPS-69 (3-BRSA-788) in Block BM-S-9, flow rates of approximately 6,000 bbl. per day of 30-degree API oil were confirmed, limited by the capacity of the equipment used. Initial production potential is approximately 50,000 bbl. per day of oil. The well is in a water depth of 2,118 meters, northeast of the Guara discovery well, #1-SPS-55. A second extension well, #3-SPS-82A (Guara Sul), is being drilled south of the Guara discovery well. Operator Petrobras has a 25% interest and partners include BG Group, 30%, and Repsol Sinopec Brasil, 25%. BG estimates Guara's recoverable reserves to be between 1.1 and 2 billion bbl.

Ghana

Rome-based Eni has confirmed a successful appraisal test of its Sankofa discovery in Ghana's deepwater Offshore Cape Three Points license. The #2-Sankofa well was drilled in 864 meters of water. The well was tested and delivered a (constrained) rate of approximately 29.5 million cu. ft. of high-quality gas and 1,000 bbl. of 52-degree API oil equivalent condensate. The appraisal well confirmed the presence of 35 meters of net gas and condensate sands of Cretaceous age with excellent reservoir characteristics. A six-meter oil leg was also encountered. Initial evaluations indicate that the appraisal well has significantly increased the preliminary estimate of gas in place at the discovery, confirming Sankofa's potential to become the first development of nonassociated gas from the Ghana offshore. Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd. is operator of the OCTP license with a 47.22% interest. Partners include Vitol Upstream Ghana Ltd., 37.78%, and state company Ghana National Petro­leum Corp., (15%). GNPC will have a back-in option for an additional 5%.

Ghana

At the #2-Teak exploration well in the West Cape Three Points Block, offshore Ghana, Kosmos Energy of Dallas reported a deepwater discovery. According to partner Anadarko Petroleum, the discovery well hit approximately 90 net ft. of high-quality oil, condensate, and natural gas pay in stacked Campanian- and Turonian-age reservoirs. The discovery was drilled to 11,185 ft. in approximately 2,900 ft. of water. The well is approximately 1.8 kilometers southwest and fault-separated from #1-Teak, and approximately 3.2 kilometers northeast of #2-Mahogany. Kosmos Energy is the operator of the West Cape Three Points Block and of #2-Teak with 30.875% working interest. Other co-owners in the block include Anadarko (30.875%), Tullow (22.896%), the E.O. Group (3.5%), Sabre Oil & Gas Holdings (1.854%), and the Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (10% carried).

Norway

A Statoil discovery in the Barents Sea was reported on the Skugard Prospect in production License 532 in Block 7220/8. The well has a proven gas column of 33 meters and an oil column of 90 meters. According to the company, the estimated volume of the discovery is between 150 million and 250 million recoverable bbl. of oil equivalent with opportunities for further upside in the license of up to 250 million bbl. The field is approximately 200 kilometers offshore and north of Snohvit Field in Production License 532, west of Lopphogda. Statoil's headquarters are in Stavanger.

Russia

In Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk region in Western Siberia Basin, Exillion Energy reported an oil discovery in EWS I Field. Appraisal well #5 was a test of a five-square-kilometer extension from East EWS I Field. According to Oil and Gas International, the discovery contains pre-drill estimates of about 13.3 million bbl. of possible reserves. The appraisal well encountered the Jurassic P reservoir at 1,858 meters, which is two meters higher than previously anticipated. Wireline logging and oil shows during drilling and sample analysis have confirmed 13.9 meters of gross oil pay in Jurassic. The well was drilled directionally 1.4 kilometers to the north of the existing EWS I Field, and the London-based company plans to connect the discovery to existing production facilities on EWS I Field.

Thailand

Houston-based Coastal Energy Co.'s #04-A Bua Ban North encountered 22 ft. of net pay in Miocene with average porosity of 29%. The reservoir is in a fault block separate from the #01-A well and the company estimates it contains approximately 6 million bbl. of oil in place. The #04-A also encountered 11 ft. of net sand with shows in a deeper Miocene section, with 22% average porosity and 10 feet of net sand with shows in the Upper Oligocene with 25% porosity. The producer was drilled to 6,417 feet to test Miocene and Upper Oligocene targets in an upthrown block west of the discoveries in the A-01 well. The Bua Ban Field is on Block G5/43 in the Gulf of Thailand. Coastal Energy wholly owns and operates the block.

Brunei

A wholly owned subsidiary of Australia's AED Oil Ltd. has completed well testing operations at #1-Lempuyang, onshore Bru­nei. Continued mechanical issues curtailed the testing program due to safety concerns associated with unintended gas flowing into the well from perforations and/or damaged casing. The #1-Lempuyang intersected excellent quality reservoir sands, with gas being flowed to surface from two test intervals—3,077-3,131.5 meters and 2,849-2,867.5 meters. Gas flowing to the surface forced the operator to cease testing due to a downhole mechanical failure and no gas flow rates could be established. While the testing results are inconclusive, Melbourne-based AED will continue to study the geology within an overpressured environment. Further appraisal and exploration well locations will be identified for drilling later in 2011. The Block L joint venture includes AED South East Asia Ltd. (50% operating interest), Kulczyk Oil Ventures (40%) and QAF Brunei (10%).

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