Offshore Staff
(US, GoM) - Kerr-McGee Corp. drilled a discovery on the Caesar prospect, located in 4,500 ft of water in Green Canyon block 683.
The discovery well, Caesar No. 1, was drilled to a total depth of 29,721 ft and encountered quality oil pay. The Caesar discovery follows Kerr-McGee's recent announcement of a natural gas discovery at the deepwater Claymore prospect in Atwater Valley block 140.
"The Caesar discovery, on the heels of our recent discovery at Claymore, validates the successful transition of our deepwater exploratory program into the subsalt play," says David Hager, Kerr-McGee COO.
Caesar is located approximately 160 mi south of Houma, Louisiana. Kerr-McGee operates Caesar with a 20% working interest. Shell E&P Co. holds a 62.5% working interest and Plains E&P Co. holds the remaining 17.5% working interest.
"We plan to immediately core the productive interval, then side-track the well approximately 4,000 ft to the north of the discovery to better determine the potential resources," adds Hager. "Development options will be evaluated and could include a subsea tieback to our 100%-ownedConstitution spar, just nine miles to the west in Green Canyon block 680."
Following the Caesar operation, Kerr-McGee will move the rig to the Mission Deep prospect in Green Canyon block 955.
Kerr-McGee also continues the appraisal work at Claymore, which Kerr-McGee operates with a 33.5% working interest. The company currently is drilling a side-track well approximately 4,600 ft to the northeast of the discovery well to determine the extent of the reservoir. Once the rig finishes the appraisal well, it is expected to move to the Norman prospect located in Garden Banks block 434. Kerr-McGee operates Norman with a 35% working interest.
The company also is drilling the Grand Cayman prospect located in Garden Banks blocks 517, 518, 561 and 562. Grand Cayman is a 32,000-ft Miocene test operated by Kerr-McGee with a 35% working interest.
05/17/06
