Offshore staff
HOUSTON -- Anadarko Petroleum has achieved its second successive deepwater oil discovery offshore Sierra Leone.
The Mercury-1 exploration well encountered around 135 net ft (41 m) of oil pay in two Cretaceous-age fan systems. It was drilled to a TD of 15,950 ft (4,861 m) in around 5,250 ft (1,600 m) of water.
This is the company’s second deepwater test in the Sierra Leone-Liberian basin.
“The Mercury well demonstrates that the stratigraphic trapping systems we’ve identified are working, and that the petroleum system is generating high-quality oil,” said SVP Worldwide Exploration, Bob Daniels.
“In the primary objective, the Mercury well encountered approximately 114 net ft [34.7 m] of light sweet crude oil with a gravity of between 34º and 42º API, with no water contact. An additional 21 net ft [6.4 m] of 24º crude was encountered in a shallower secondary objective.
“These results continue to build momentum in the basin and enhance our confidence in the team’s seismic interpretation and geologic modelling,” says Daniels. “We are preserving the wellbore for potential re-entry, DST (drillstem testing) or a down-dip side track to further delineate the reservoir’s areal extent, quality, and deliverability. We also plan to continue working with the government of Sierra Leone and our partnership to accelerate exploration and appraisal activity in the area in 2011.”
Mercury is in block SL-07B-10, 40 mi east-southeast of the previous Venus discovery. Co-venturers are Repsol and Tullow Oil. Anadarko holds an interest in five contiguous deepwater blocks offshore Sierra Leone and Liberia, and has identified over 17 prospects and leads on 3D seismic on this acreage.
On completion of the Mercury well, the drillship will mobilize to Ghana to accelerate the appraisal program at the Owo and Tweneboa fields, where Anadarko is a partner to Tullow.
11/15/2010
