Offshore staff
HOUSTON — APA Corp. has made its first oil discovery in Block 53 offshore Suriname.
The Noble Gerry de Souza drilled the Baja-1 well in 1,140 m (3,740 ft) of water and to a subsurface depth of 5,290 m (17,356 ft), with the well intersecting 34 m (112 ft) of net oil pay in a single interval in the Campanian.
Initial fluid and log analysis shows a light oil with a gas-oil ratio (GOR) of 1,600 cf/bbl to 2,200 cf/bbl in a good-quality reservoir. The discovery is a downdip lobe of the same depositional system as the Krabdagu discovery, drilled 11.5 km to the west in offshore Block 58.
Evaluation continues of openhole well logs, cores and reservoir fluids.
CEO and president John J. Christmann said, “This result confirms our geologic model for the Campanian in the area and helps to de-risk other prospects in the southern portion of both blocks 53 and 58.”
Recently APA gained regulatory approval for an amendment to the Block 53 production sharing contract, with options to extend the exploration period by up to four years.
APA has a 45% operated interest in Block 53, with Petronas holding 30% and CEPSA 25%.
The Noble Gerry de Souza drillship will shortly mobilize to Block 58 to drill the Awari exploration prospect for APA and operator TotalEnergies, 27 km north of their Maka Central discovery.
In the same block, the Dikkop exploration well has been plugged and abandoned after encountering water-bearing sandstones in the targeted interval.
The Maersk Valiant drillship will relocate to drill a second appraisal well at Sapakara South, where the partners conducted a successful flow test late last year.
08.23.2022
