Alaska

ConocoPhillips, according to IHS Markit, has completed testing and initial technical assessments at its Alaska National Petroleum Reserve prospect in Umiat Meridian, Alaska. The recoverable reserves are about 300 MMbbl of oil. Two Willow discovery wells in the Greater Mooses Tooth Unit (GMT1), #6-Tinmiaq and #2- Tinmiaq, respectively, penetrated 22 m and 13 m (72 ft and 42 ft) of net pay in Brookian Nanushuk. The #2-Tinjiaq was tested flowing 3.2 Mbbl/d of 44°API oil. First oil production is planned for late 2018. In addition, permits have been filed for GMT2, located about 13 km (8 miles) west of GMT1 with peak production estimated at 25 Mbbl/d to 30 Mbbl/d gross.

Cuba

An assessment by Melbana Energy Ltd. of onshore Cuba’s Block 9 estimates that the oil and gas exploration potential of the 2,380-sq-km (919-sq-mile) area holds about 12 Bbbl of in-place oil. The block is on trend with the multibillion-barrel Varadero oil field, which has a prospective recoverable resource of 612 MMbbl that is about 50% more than the previous assessment. The assessment was on the Lower Sheet Play, which is a conventional fractured carbonate reservoir similar to existing producing fields in Cuba and is located at depths typically 2,000 m to 3,500 m (6,562 ft to 11,483 ft). Block 9 is in a proven hydrocarbon system with multiple producing fields, including the nearby Majaguillar and San Anton fields and the Varadero and Motembo fields.

Colombia

In offshore Colombia’s Purple Angel Block Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is underway at exploration well #1-Purple Angel. The venture is in the Fuerte Norte license area. It is designed to test objectives similar to those at the play-opening Kronos discovery to the south. Upon completion the rig will be moved to drill on the Gorgon prospect at #1-Gorgon, which will test an analogous structure along the same trend to the Kronos discovery. The #1-Kronos discovery well was drilled to 3,720 m (12,205 ft), and area water depth is 1,584 m (5,197 ft). It encountered 40 m to 70 m (131 ft to 230 ft) of gas-bearing sandstones.

Peru

A permit has been approved for a Peru exploration well in offshore Block Z-34. Baron Oil Plc’s #1X Cuy-Z34- 13 will be drilled in 1,757 m (5,764 ft) of water, and the planned depth is 3,826 m (12,553 ft). Block Z-34 is in an undrilled deepwater basin covering about 3,713 sq km (1,433.5 sq miles). The prospect is located about 15 km (9 miles) from an existing producing field in the Talara Basin, an area that already has produced 1.7 Bbbl of oil. Most of the remaining potential in this area is believed to be located in this deepwater basin. The company’s internal estimates of gross unrisked best estimate (P50) prospective resources for the Cuy Prospect is 413 MMbbl of recoverable oil.

Brazil

Alvopetro Energy has announced results from its #198(A1) well, which is in Block 198 in the Reconcavo Basin in Bahia, Brazil. The 1,480-m (4,856- ft) well was drilled as both a step-out well to the #197(2) gas discovery in the Caruacu Member and to target uphole exploration potential. Openhole logs indicated 31 m (102 ft) of potential net gas pay in the Main Caruacu Member. The well also hit 26 m (85 ft) of potential net hydrocarbon pay in a series of thinner up-hole Pojuca sands. The 2015 discovery at #197(2) well was completed and tested with 78 m (256 ft) of potential net gas pay with an average 33% water saturation and an average porosity of 12% in the Caruacu member of Maracangalha.

Morocco

Sound Energy Plc completed an extended well test at #7-TE in the Tendara license in Morocco. The 3,459-m (11,348-ft) well flowed about 793 Mcm/d (28 MMcf/d) during testing on a 44⁄64-in. choke from the TAGI reservoir. No formation water was produced. Extended well test results will be analyzed for field development planning. Another appraisal well is planned at a step-out, #8-TE, about 12 km (7 miles) to the northeast of #7-TE.

Norway

Lundin Petroleum AB announced an oil and gas discovery at #7219/12-1 at its Filicudi Prospect in PL533 in the Barents Sea. A sidetrack well, #7219/12-1A, is underway. The wells are between the Johan Castberg and the Alta and Gohta discoveries on the Loppa High. The well encountered a gross 129-m (423-ft) hydrocarbon column of high-quality Jurassic and Triassic sandstone reservoir characteristics, with 63 m (207 ft) of oil and 66 m (216.5 ft) of gas in the Jurassic and Triassic targets. The sidetrack well has reached total depth and has confirmed the reservoir and hydrocarbon column. The gross resource estimate for the Filicudi discovery is 35 MMboe to 100 MMboe, with significant upside potential that requires further appraisal drilling. According to the company, multiple additional prospects have been identified on the Filicudi trend within PL533, with total gross unrisked prospective resource potential for the trend of up to 700 MMboe.

Norway

Statoil completed drilling at appraisal well #16/2-22S on the Johan Sverdrup Field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The well is in production license PL265, Block 16/2, and was drilled to 1,963 m (6,440 ft) and terminated in the granitic basement. It has been permanently plugged and abandoned. Water depth at the site is 115 m (377 ft). The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Draupne) and to investigate pressure communication to the northern part of the field. The well encountered a total oil column of 16 m (52 ft), most likely in Draupne, with alternating sandstone, siltstone and clay stone.

Tanzania

Aminex Plc has reported that appraisal well #2-Ntorya encountered a gross gas-bearing reservoir unit of about 51 m (167 ft) at a depth of 2,596 m (8,517 ft). The venture is in Tanzania’s Ruvuma Block Mtwara license area. Preliminary petrophysical analysis of the LWD results indicates a porous and hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir with a potential net pay of 25 m to 30 m (82 ft to 98 ft). Aminex plans to drill deeper to 2,780 m (9,121 ft) to insert a 7-in. liner below the reservoir interval. A well testing program is planned, including flow-test and petrophysical analysis. The venture also encountered traces of oil in the gross reservoir interval, which the company is evaluating.

Australia

Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. has announced results from an extended production test at its #1H Amungee NW exploration well in Northern Australia’s Beetaloo Basin. The test is in permit area EP98. During the first 30 days it flowed an average of 31 Mcm/d (1.11 MMcf/d). According to the operator, B Shale member testing of Velkerri showed that drilling and seismic results across more than 10,000 sq km (3,861 sq miles) show continuity of Velkerri. The B Shale member is the most continuous of the three individual targets within the shale gas play. The #1H Amungee NW was tested with 11 stages of fracturing across about 600 m (1,968.5 ft) of the lateral section and confirms the ability of Velkerri B Shale to flow gas following fracturing.

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