Offshore staff
HOUSTON – Apache Corp. and partner Total have made what may be their largest oil discovery to date on block 58 offshore Suriname.
The drillship Noble Sam Croft drilled the Kwaskwasi-1 well in 1,000 m (3,281 ft) of water and to a depth of around 6,645 m (21,800 ft), with the well testing hydrocarbons in multiple stacked targets in the upper Cretaceous Campanian-Maastrichtian and Santonian intervals.
According to Apache, fluid samples and test results from two intervals indicate at least 278 m (912 ft) of net oil and volatile oil / gas condensate pay.
The shallower Campanian interval contains 63 m (207 ft) of net oil pay and 86 m (282 f) of net volatile oil / gas condensate pay, with API oil gravities of between 34 and 43°. The deeper Santonian interval contains 129 m (423 ft) of net hydrocarbon reservoir; assessment of the Santonian oil gravities continues.
John J. Christmann, Apache CEO and president, said: “We are thrilled with the results from the Kwaskwasi-1 exploration well. This is the best well we’ve drilled in the basin to date, with the highest net pay in the best quality reservoirs.
“While we have a lot more work to do, a discovery of this quality and magnitude merits a pace of evaluation that enables the option of accelerated first production.”
Kevin McLachlan, senior vice president Exploration at Total, added: “This very encouraging results confirm our exploration strategy in this prolific zone, which targets large volumes of resources at low development costs.”
Apache drilled as the operator with a 50% interest, the remainder held by Total. Their next and fourth exploration well on the block will follow shortly on the Keskesi prospect, 14 km (9 mi) southeast of the earlier Sapakara West-1 discovery, testing oil-prone upper Cretaceous targets in the Campanian and Santonian.
After the Noble Sam Croft has completed that well, Total will take over as operator of the block. Early next year, the partners plan to appraise the three 2020 discoveries, and a further exploration campaign.
Apache has also identified at least seven distinct play types within the block and more than 50 prospects within the thermally mature play fairway.
In its latest trading statement, the company added that following a rebound in the oil price it has returned curtailed volumes from its UK North Sea fields to production.
07/30/2020
