ONLINE SPECIAL: Apache bullish on the Gulf of Mexico
Aug. 20, 2010
The deepwater Gulf of Mexico remains a promising g exploration venue, according to Carl Scharpf, Gulf Coast Exploration & New Ventures manager for Apache Corp.
Offshore staff
HOUSTON – The deepwater Gulf of Mexico remains a promising g exploration venue, according to Carl Scharpf, Gulf Coast Exploration & New Ventures manager for Apache Corp.
Speaking at the NAPE E&P Conference, Scharpf pointed to Apache’s aggressive entry into deepwater GoM by noting that although the company is relatively new to the arena, it already holds 100 deepwater blocks.
Specific deepwater GoM targets for Apache going forward include: • Mid to Lower Miocene subsalt • Pliocene just above salt formations • Lower Tertiary subsalt • Upper Miocene • Jurassic sands such as the Norphlet.
Scharpf said the subsalt Pliocene and such younger sands could be the next play to join this group.
While there are significant remaining reserves in the GoM, it is the improve exploration technologies that make the future bright. Wide-azimuth seismic surveys and improved processing are among the leaders in the trend.
