Offshore staff
LONDON – The Zaedyus discovery well offshore French Guiana has intersected 72 m (236 ft) of net oil pay in two turbidite fans.
According to operator Tullow Oil, the result proves that the Jubilee play offshore Ghana is mirrored across the Atlantic from West Africa. A side track is in under way to recover reservoir cores, with operations expected to complete in mid-November.
The partners are already working on the 2012 program, which will likely include 3D seismic acquisition and drilling of two more wells.
Subject to approvals, Shell should assume operatorship of the block early next year.
Offshore Guyana, Tullow says the Repsol-operated Jaguar exploration well should in mid-December, after the Atwood Beacon rig has completed its current operation.
And in Suriname, preparations continue for a 3D seismic program next spring covering around 2,500 sq km (965 sq mi).
At the Tullow-operated Jubilee field, production is around 80,000 b/d of oil from eight wells with a ninth producer well, J-07, offline while it is being side tracked. This well, which will feature a new completion design, should come onstream early in 2012.
The six planned water injector wells and two gas injectors are all now in service and providing pressure support, injecting 230,000 bw/d and 85 MMcf/d respectively. Tullow expects production to ramp up to capacity later in 2012.
The Jubilee Phase 1A development plan awaits government approval, but drilling is scheduled to start in early 2012 with an initial production start next spring. The phased approach should allow the wells to benefit from the new completion design (rates from some Jubilee producers have been below expectations at times due to mechanical problems with the existing completions).
In the Deepwater Tano concession partly containing Jubilee, FEED contracts have been awarded for the subsea and FPSO work scope for the Enyenra/Tweneboa discoveries, and subject to a successful conclusion of remaining appraisal activity, a development plan will likely be submitted during the first half of 2012.
And in the adjacent Kosmos-operated West Cape Three Points license, the Teak-3 appraisal well should reach target depth later in November.
Elsewhere in the region, Force Majeure has been lifted for Tullow’s deepwater exploration blocks CI-103 and CI-105 off Cote d’Ivoire, and a well should be drilled on each block during 1Q 2012. Tullow is also monitoring discussions between the Ghanaian and Ivorian governments concerning demarcation of their maritime border.
Offshore Namibia, a new Petroleum Agreement was agreed for the Kudu field area on Oct. 24. This led to Tullow as operator being awarded a 25-year Production License and an optional 10-year extension.
Negotiations continue on terms for both a Gas Sales Agreement and the Project Development Agreement. The latter is a framework linking the upstream and downstream elements of the Kudu project.
11/09/2011
