Offshore staff
SALISBURY, UK – Rockhopper Exploration reports two new discoveries in the offshore North Falkland basin.
Exploration well 14/15-4 was drilled by the semisub Ocean Guardian in license PL004b to test multiple reservoir targets in the Beverley, Casper South, and Casper structures and the proven Sea Lion Main Complex.
The location is roughly 12.1 km (7.5 mi) southwest of the Sea Lion 14/10-2 discovery well.
At Beverley, the well penetrated the prospect near the crest of the structure, encountering net gas pay of 25.8 m (85 ft). Reservoir quality was good with average porosity of 22% and average permeability of 44 mD. Analysis of mud logs indicates probable wet gas, although there also may be oil downdip.
At Casper South, separate gas and oil legs were discovered with net gas pay of 8.5 m (28 ft) and net oil pay of 11.6 m (38 ft). A gas/oil contact also was observed close to the same depth recorded in the earlier 14/10-9 discovery on Casper. Analysis of mud logs again indicate wet gas.
Rockhopper says that Casper South is a separate fan lobe, south of and ostensibly in communication with the Casper fan, which is currently mapped at covering an area of more than 100 sq km (38.6 sq mi), with down-dip oil potential.
The well also penetrated the Casper sand 6.3 km (4 mi) south of the 14/10-9 Casper discovery well, down-dip and at the edge of the mapped fan lobe. The Casper reservoir sands encountered in the current well are all oil bearing.
Rockhopper believes the well defines Casper’s southernmost limit, with a thin reservoir section of low net to gross sand.
Finally, the well penetrated the Sea Lion Main Complex 12.1 km (4.7 mi) from the 14/10-2 discovery well, and 13.8 km (5.3 mi) from the northernmost successful appraisal well 14/10-7. It penetrated a section which established the gross thickness of reservoir as mapped.
Rockhopper next plans to drill a short offset sidetrack 10 m (33 ft) from the main well bore to extract core from the Beverley, Casper South, and SLMC formations. The program should take 12 days after which the well will be P&A’d.
The company has received the final processed volume of 3D seismic data over its northern acreage in PL032, PL033, and PL004b. The final processed volume of 3D data over licenses PL023 and PL024 should come through in January.
12/14/2011
