AFRICA

Anadarko to sell offshore Mozambique interest to OVL

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. announced in a press release that it has entered a definitive agreement with ONGS Videsh Ltd. (OVL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd., to sell a 10% interest in Mozambique’s Offshore Area 1 in the deepwater Rovuma basin for US $2.64 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close around year-end 2013. After the transaction closing, Anadarko Mocambique Area 1 Ltda. (a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Anadarko) will remain operator of Area 1 with a working interest of 26.5%. Anadarko’s partners in Area 1 include Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 Ltd. (20%), BPRL Ventures Mozambique BV (10%), Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Ltd. (10%), OVL (10%), and PTT E&P Plc (8.5%). Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos EP’s 15% interest is carried through the exploration phase.

Eni makes major gas discovery offshore Mozambique

Eni has made a new high-impact discovery at the Agulha exploration prospect in Area 4 offshore Mozambique, the company said in a press release. Preliminary estimates show that the Agulha structure could contain 141.6 Bcm to 198 Bcm (5 Tcf to 7 Tcf) of gas in place. Agulha was drilled in 2,492 m (8,176 ft) of water and reached a total depth of 6,203 m (20,351 ft). The well is located in the southern part of Area 4, approximately 80 km (50 miles) off the Cabo Delgado coast. Agulha encountered about 160 m (525 ft) of wet gas pay in good-quality Paleocene and Cretaceous reservoirs. Eni East Africa holds 70% of Area 4. Eni East Africa has indirect interests owned by operator Eni (50%) and China National Petroleum Corp. (20%). The other partners are Galp Energia (10%), Korea Gas Corp. (10%), and ENH (10%) carried through the exploration phase).

MIDDLE EAST

Technip wins contract to develop Umm Lulu field

Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Co. awarded Technip, in a consortium led by National Petroleum Construction Co. (NPCC), a contract for the engineering, procurement, and construction work of the Umm Lulu Full Field Development project – Package 2 (process facilities), Technip said in a press release. The field is located offshore the United Arab Emirates in the Arabian Gulf. The contract has an approximate value of US $1.69 billion, with Technip’s share being about 35%. The contract’s scope of work consists of the detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, offshore installation, commissioning, and startup of a large offshore super complex comprising six bridge-linked platforms including gathering, separation, gas treatment, and water disposal facilities as well as utilities and accommodation modules. Technip will be responsible for the project’s engineering and will share the procurement and commissioning work with NPCC. NPCC will be responsible for the fabrication and installation of the facilities. The project is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2018.

Tethys discovers oil onshore Oman

The first appraisal well into the Lower Buah section of the B4EW4 structure on Block 4 onshore Oman flowed more than 1,000 b/d of oil from a 32/ 64 -in. choke, Tethys Oil said in a press release. The B4EW4-4 well was drilled approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) from discovery well B4EW4-1. The discovery well continues to yield good flows under a long-term production test from the Lower Buah, and the new well also will undergo similar testing. A new exploration well is in progress on a lookalike structure to B4EW4 designated as B4EW5, which will target the Lower Buah and Khufai sections. Tethys Oil AB, through its wholly owned subsidiary Tethys Oil Block 3 and 4 Ltd., has a 30% interest in blocks 3 and 4. Its partners are operator CC Energy Development SAL (Oman branch) with a 50% stake and Mitsui E&P Middle East BV with the remaining 20% interest.

NORTH AMERICA

Statoil strikes oil again offshore Canada

Statoil has made a third discovery of crude oil in the Flemish Pass basin offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the company said in a press release. The discovery was made on the Bay du Nord prospect (EL 1112), located approximately 500 km (311 miles) northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The find is the second discovery for Statoil offshore Newfoundland and Labrador this year. In June a discovery was made at the Harpoon prospect, which is located approximately 10 km (6 miles) from Bay du Nord. The Bay du Nord and Harpoon wells were drilled by the semisubmersible rig West Aquarius, both in approximately 1,100 m (3,609 ft) of water. Statoil is the operator of Bay du Nord and Harpoon with a 65% interest. Husky Energy has a 35% interest.

TGS plans 3-D survey in Alberta

TGS, through its wholly owned subsidiary Arcis Seismic Solutions, will conduct a 3-D multiclient onshore survey, Three Hills East, covering 150 sq km (58 sq miles) in the south central plains of Alberta, Canada, TGS said in a press release. The Three Hills East survey is designed to evaluate multiple zones from the Devonian (Nisku), Mississippian (Banff and Pekisko), and Cretaceous (Ellerslie and Ostracod) in the newly emerging Duvernay play. Permitting is under way, and data acquisition is expected to commence in September 2013. The seismic data will be processed by Arcis, and final data will be available to clients in 4Q 2013. The survey is supported by industry funding.

GULF OF MEXICO

Contango discovers pay at South Timbalier 17

Contango Oil & Gas Co. announced in a press release an exploration discovery at its South Timbalier 17 prospect, located in Louisiana state waters in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and operated by Contango Operators Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. The well was drilled to a total measured depth of approximately 3,475 m (11,400 ft), and the wireline logs of the well indicated the presence of hydrocarbons. Estimated reserves and production rates will be dependent upon the liquids content of the formation, which will be better defined once the company completes and tests the well. Contango is proceeding with development, including securing production facilities. Contango has a 75% working interest (53.25% net revenue interest) before payout of all costs and a 59.3% working interest (42.1% net revenue interest) after payout.

ExxonMobil begins drilling at Maui prospect

ExxonMobil has started work on an exploratory test at its Maui prospect in Walker Ridge Block 282 in the GoM. The #1 OCS G33364 well is targeting pays in subsalt Pliocene and Miocene reservoirs. The water depth in the area is 1,937 m (6,355 ft). Exxon operates the Maui prospect with a 33% working interest and is joined by partner BP (67%).

ASIA-PACIFIC

OMV discovers gas onshore Pakistan

OMV hit gas and condensate at its Sofiya-2 exploration well in the Mehar exploration license in the Sindh province of Pakistan, according to the company. The exploration well lies 10 km (6 miles) north of the Mehar gas and condensate field. The presence of hydrocarbons was proven through wireline logging and testing operations, according to the press release. During testing, a total of 510 Mcm/d (18 MMcf/d) of gas plus an additional 1,550 bbl of condensate flowed from the Ranikot formation through a 48/ 64 -in. choke. Further appraisal work will be required to confirm the size of the discovery. OMV Maurice Energy Ltd. holds a 75% share in the exploration license and is joined by partners Government Holding Private Ltd. (5%), Ocean Pakistan Ltd. (15%), and Zaver Petroleum Co. (5%).

RIL, BP hit gas offshore east India

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and BP announced in a press release a new gas condensate discovery off the east coast of India in the Cauvery basin. The discovery, located in deepwater Block CY-DWN-2001/2, is situated 62 km (39 miles) from the coast and is the second gas discovery in the block. RIL is the operator with 70% equity, and BP has a 30% share. Well CYIII-D5-S1 was drilled in a water depth of 1,743 m (5,719 ft) to a total depth of 5,731 m (18,802 ft). Preliminary evaluation of well data and fluid samples indicated the presence of gas condensate in the reservoir interval with a gross column of 143 m (469 ft). The well reached its total depth in early August, and RIL has conducted a drillstem test to evaluate the potential of the discovery. The well, which had an initial reservoir pressure of 8,000 psi, flowed gas at the rate of 997 Mcm/d (35.2 MMcf/d) with condensate at the rate of 413 b/d through a 52/ 64 -in. choke during the drillstem test.

SOUTH AMERICA

Petrobras confirms production potential in Muriu area

Petrobras announced in a press release the drilling results for extension well 3-SES-175D (3-BRSA-1180-D-SES), known as Muriu 1, located in the BM-SEAL-10 concession area (blocks SEAL-M-347 and SEAL-M-424) in the ultra-deep waters of the Sergipe basin offshore Brazil. The results confirm the extent of the light oil and natural gas discovery in the Muriu area announced Dec. 5, 2012. The well is located 83 km (52 miles) from the city of Aracaju, 4.4 km (2.7 miles) from the discovery well, and at a water depth of 2,432 m (7,979 ft), and it confirms the existence of a 24-m (79-ft) thick reservoir with good permoporosity characteristics. The well reached a final depth of 5,626 m (18,461 ft).

GeoPark announces oil, gas discovery in Chile

GeoPark made a new oil and gas field discovery on the Flamenco block in Chile. The Tierra del Fuego exploration well, #1-Chercan, was drilled to 2,066 m (6,778 ft). After fracture stimulation, a production test was run in Tobifera, and the well flowed approximately 113 Mcm/d (4 MMcf/d) of gas and 35 b/d of oil. The wellhead pressure was 1,800 psi when tested on an 8-mm choke. Two additional wells, #1-Omeling and #3-Yakamush on the Flamenco block, are awaiting tests. GeoPark operates and has a 50% working interest in the Flamenco and Campanario blocks and a 60% working interest in the Isla Norte block. Empresa Nacional de Petroleo de Chile owns the remaining working interests in each block.

EUROPE

Norway solicits block nominations for license round

Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borten Moe invited oil companies to nominate blocks they want to have included in the 23rd licensing round on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), according to a news release. The primary focus area will be the southeastern Barents Sea, but the ministry also is accepting nominations in the Norwegian Sea and North Sea.

Po Valley Energy finds gas at La Gradizza1 well

Po Valley Energy Ltd. announced positive log results following the drilling of exploration well Gradizza1 onshore Italy. The well is located on the La Prospera license, which lies to the north of Bologna. After reaching a total depth of 1,030 m (3,379 ft), the company has now completed logging operations. It has confirmed the identification of a gas-bearing zone in the primary target area of the quarternary sand level. The well intersected a 10-m (33-ft) gross gas column, with 9 m (30 ft) of net gas sand.

Comments