Africa

Light oil found offshore Ghana

Anadarko has confirmed a light oil discovery on the West Cape Three Points Block offshore Ghana. Drilled in 1,160 m (3,800 ft) water depth, the Akasa-1 well encountered 33 m (108 ft) of net high-quality oil pay (38°API) from four main Turonian-aged sand packages similar to those found in the Jubilee and Mahogany East areas.

This illustration shows one of the 49 subsea wells supplying the Pazflor FPSO. (Image courtesy of Total SA)

Pazflor flows first oil offshore Angola

Block 17 operator Total has brought the Pazflor field offshore Angola onstream ahead of schedule. The field, situated in 600 m to 1,200 m (1,980 ft to 3,960 ft) water depths, has estimated proved and probable reserves of 590 MMbbl and is expected to ramp up to full production capacity of 220,000 b/d. The Pazflor floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel – the world’s largest – can store up to 1.9 MMbbl of oil.

North America

Canada producers develop fracing guidelines

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) unveiled new guidelines for hydraulic fracturing practices that include water management and improved water and fluids reporting for increased shale gas development. The guiding principles apply in all jurisdictions in which the upstream industry operates in Canada and are available on the CAPP website at capp.ca.

Multiclient survey kicks off in Labrador Sea

A new 22,000-km (mile) multiclient 2-D survey has started in Eastern Canada offshore Newfoundland in the Labrador Sea covering the area north of the Hibernia, Hebron, Terra Nova, and White Rose oil discoveries. TGS in partnership with PGS is acquiring the seismic data through 3Q 2011; the M/V Sanco Spirit seismic vessel will return in 2012 to complete the survey.

NOAA, oil majors ink Arctic research deal

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Shell Exploration & Production, ConocoPhillips, and Statoil USA have partnered to collaborate on a number of scientific datasets for the Arctic frontier region, including weather and ocean observations, biological information, and sea ice and sea floor mapping studies. The data will be used to monitor climate change and provide products and services that inform responsible energy exploration activities in the region.

Gulf of Mexico

Mad Dog takes bigger bite

BP’s recently drilled appraisal well in a previously untested northern segment of the Mad Dog field in Green Canyon Block 738 in the US Gulf of Mexico (GoM) encountered approximately 50 m (166 ft) of net hydrocarbons in the objective Miocene hydrocarbon-bearing sands, confirming the Mad Dog complex resource extension. The well, drilled in 1,371 m (4,500 ft) water depth, also discovered an oil column of more than 91 m (300 ft). Total hydrocarbons initially in place at Mad Dog are estimated to be as much as 4 Bboe.

Moccasin strikes Wilcox pay for Chevron

The Moccasin prospect has proven a new oil discovery in Keathley Canyon Block 736 in the deepwater GoM. The well (No. 1) was drilled to a depth of 9,559 m (31,545 ft) in 2,048 m (6,759 ft) water depth and struck more than 115 m (380 ft) of net pay in the Lower Tertiary Wilcox sands. Chevron began drilling the Mocassin well in March 2010 but had to suspend activity due to the US moratorium on deepwater wells; drilling resumed in March 2011.

DOE sets date for Western GoM lease sale

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and BOEMRE Director Michael Bromwich have confirmed the first oil and gas lease sale in the GoM since the Deepwater Horizon incident will be held in New Orleans on Dec. 14, 2011. Lease Sale 218 consists of 3,900 unleased blocks on 20.6 million acres and will include all available unleased areas in the Western Gulf Planning Area offshore Texas.

Middle East

Iraqi well flows 15,000 b/d from three zones

Three tests have been conducted on the Shaikan-2 well with a maximum aggregate flow rate of more than 15,000 b/d, according to Gulf Keystone Petroleum. Up to five more tests are planned in the Triassic and Jurassic formations. A major discovery in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Shaikan has independently audited gross OIP volumes between 4.9- and 10.8 billion on the P90-to-P10 basis, with a mean value of 7.7 Bbbl.

Europe

Rosneft, ExxonMobil finalize Arctic, international pact

Rosneft and ExxonMobil have formed a US $3.2 billion strategic alliance to jointly explore East Prinovozemelskiy blocks 1, 2, and 3 – comprising 126,000 sq km (30 million acres) – in Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean and the Tuapse License Block – comprising 11,200 sq km (2.8 million acres) – in the Black Sea. The JV also will establish a joint Arctic R&D center for offshore development in St. Petersburg; develop tight-oil resources in Western Siberia; and focus on expanding the companies’ offshore and tight-oil knowledge base in the US deepwater GoM as well as in other countries.

West of Shetlands prospect hits oil

Faroe Petroleum has reported an oil discovery with exploration well 206/5a-3 in the Fulla prospect West of Shetlands. Drilled by the Awilco WilPhoenix semisubmersible drilling rig in 124 m (407 ft) water depth, the well penetrated a 14-m (45-ft) net oil column and a gross oil column of 41 m (133 ft). The average porosity in the net interval has been estimated at 23%. Fulla lies 31 km (19 miles) northeast of the BP-operated Clair field platform.

2-D seismic survey begins offshore Greenland

In preparation for the 2012-13 Greenland licensing round, TGS-NOPEC, in partnership with Fugro, has begun a 1,000-km (600-mile) multiclient 2-D survey off northeast Greenland using the M/V Akademik Shatskiy seismic vessel and M/V Fennicia ice breaker. Data will be available in 1Q 2012. The survey is slated for completion in 4Q 2011.

South America

Serrette sees first gas offshore Trinidad

BP Trinidad and Tobago (BPTT) has started producing natural gas from the Serrette field offshore Trinidad in 90 m (280 ft) water depth. The field was brought online using an unmanned, nine-slot platform that was installed in 2010 and has a design capacity of 1 Bcf/d. Production is tied in to BPTT’s Cassia B hub via a 26-in diameter, 32-mile pipeline. The platform is expected to average 400 MMcf/d of gas and associated condensate from five wells.

The Serrette field is on Block Samaan in 90 m (280 ft) water depth offshore Trinidad. (Image courtesy of BP Plc)

ExxonMobil seals Argentina shale gas pact

Americas Petrogas Argentina has farmed out an interest in 163,500 gross acres in the Neuqu?n basin in Argentina to ExxonMobil Exploration Argentina. The assets, collectively known as the Los Toldos blocks, are prospective for the Vaca Muerta shale. ExxonMobil has committed to fund US $53.9 million during the exploration phase, with a further $22.4 million to exploit the Los Toldos 1 and 2 blocks. The first Vaca Muerta well is to be spudded in 4Q 2011. The US EIA estimates the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous shale has a risked recoverable resource of 240 Tcf of gas.

North Sea

BP, partners to develop Central North Sea

BP and partners Eni and Summit plan to invest up to US $1.13 billion to develop the Kinnoull oil reservoir near the Andrew field in the central North Sea. The reservoir, estimated to contain 45 MMboe, will connect to BP’s Andrew platform and is expected to come online in 2013, peaking at 45,000 b/d during its lifecycle through 2020. The project will include the installation of a new subsea system comprising four subsea bundles with a total length of 28 km (17 miles) – the world’s longest bundle system – and major modifications to the existing platform.

The Breagh platform consists of an 85-m tall, 4,000-metric-ton jacket and topsides of approximately 1,400 metric tons. (Image courtesy of RWE DEA UK)

Breagh, Clipper South on track for 2012 production

RWE Dea UK said it expects first gas from its Breagh field, one of the largest natural gas discoveries in the southern North Sea, in 2H 2012 and from its Clipper South development in 1H 2012. The field is in UKCS blocks 42/12a and 42/13a in 62 m (205 ft) water depth. The Clipper South platform, with topsides weighing 1,900 metric tons, was installed on Aug. 27 in 23 m (76 ft) water depth.

Asia

BP makes $7.2B investment in India

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and BP will form a 50-50 natural gas joint venture in India following BP’s acquisition of a 30% stake in 21 RIL-operated oil and gas production-sharing contracts (PSCs) for US $7.2 billion.

Additional payments of up to $1.8 billion could be paid based on resulting commercial discoveries. The PSCs consist of 220,000 sq km (84,942 sq miles) in 400 m to more than 3,000 m (1,320 ft to more than 9,900 ft) water depth. Also included is the KG-D6 Block, which produces 1.7 Bcf/d of gas.

TGT field offshore Vietnam pumps first oil

The Te Giac Trang field (TGT) began flowing oil and wet gas from the Armada TGT 1 FPSO on Aug. 22 at an initial production rate of 16,000 b/d from the HI wellhead platform. Production is expected to reach 55,000 b/d by yearend 2011, with gas production at 30 MMcf/d.