Frontera Energy Corp. and CGX Energy Inc., joint venture partners in the Corentyne Block offshore Guyana, plan to spud the Wei-1 well no later than Jan. 31, utilizing Noble Corp.’s Discoverer semisubmersible mobile drilling unit.

The companies and the Guyanese government have agreed to the timeline, Frontera announced Nov. 28 in a press release. Under the terms of the license for the block, the companies were to have spud Wei-1, the second of two commitment wells on the block, by Nov. 27.

Frontera Energy Guyana Map
The spud of Wei-1 follows the discovery of light oil and gas condensate at the Kawa-1 exploration well in the Corentyne block earlier this year. (Source: Frontera Energy Corp.)

Frontera and CGX didn’t reveal reasons behind the change in timeline except to say it “is in keeping with the schedule provided to CGX Resources Inc. by Noble Corp. so as to allow for the Noble Corp. Discoverer to complete its current obligations in Trinidad.”

The spud of Wei-1 follows the discovery of light oil and gas condensate at the Kawa-1 exploration well in the Corentyne block earlier this year. Wei-1 will be located approximately 14 km northwest of Kawa-1 and in a water depth of approximately 1,912 ft (583 m). The companies plan to drill the well to an anticipated total depth of 20,500 ft (6,248 m) and will target Maastrichtian, Campanian and Santonian aged stacked channels in a western channel complex in the northern section of the block.

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“Significant investment, planning and work has been completed in preparation to drill Wei-1 and we are ready to drill the well upon rig arrival in one of the most exciting exploration areas in the world,” Frontera CEO Orlando Cabrales said in the release.

The northernmost region of the Corentyne block is located south of Guyana’s prolific Stabroek Block where an Exxon Mobil Corp.-led consortium including Hess Corp. and China’s CNOOC have found estimated gross recoverable resources of approximately 11 billion boe. 

Guyana and Suriname share the Guyana-Suriname maritime basin and IOCs in other Guyanese blocks around Stabroek as well as IOCs in blocks on Suriname’s side of the border continue to in pursuit of the success seen to date in Stabroek.

Offshore