Canada

Calima Energy Ltd. plans to conduct a 3-D seismic survey that covers about 51,455 acres in the Caribou area of British Columbia. According to the company, it will use the seismic and a regional well log database of more than 60 Montney tests in the area for subsurface evaluation and well planning. Drilling activity will commence in 2018. Calima plans to increase its position to 65,000 to 70,000 acres by year-end 2017. Nearby drilling and production is to the southeast, where about 40 Montney wells are averaging about 10 Mbbl/d.

US

In Lea County, N.M., EOG Resources Inc. has completed the first of two offsetting horizontal wildcats initially permitted by Yates Petroleum. EOG’s #2H Audacious BTL Federal Com was tested flowing 3.47 Mbbl of oil, 195.7 Mcm (6.911 MMcf) of gas and 11.06 Mbbl of water per day from the Upper Wolfcamp. The discovery is in Section 19-25s-33e and was drilled about 2.4 km (1.5 miles) to the south, bottoming in Section 20. It was fracture-treated in 31 stages at 3,836 m to 5,951 m (12,586 ft to 19,525 ft). The well was drilled to 5,983 m (19,630 ft), and the true vertical depth is 3,782.5 m (12,410 ft). There has been no previous horizontal Wolfcamp production in the vicinity.

Colombia

GeoPark has made a new field discovery at exploration well #1-Curucuca in Colombia’s Llanos 34 Block. The 4,450-m (14,600-ft) well flowed 1.7 Mbbl of 15.6-degree-gravity oil per day. The production test was conducted with an electric submersible pump in Guadalupe with 0.4% water cut. During testing on a 100/64-in. choke, the wellhead pressure was 70 psi. Petrophysical log analysis during drilling also indicated the presence of potentially productive hydrocarbons in the shallower Mirador. The 2,743-m (9,000-ft) well is in the Jacamar oil field. Curucucu Field is on a new fault trend to the east of the Tigana/Jacana fault trend. GeoPark is the operator of Llanos 34 Block and #1-Curucucu with 45% interest in partnership with Parax Resources (45%) and Ecopetrol (10%).

Guyana

ExxonMobil Corp. announced results from a test in the offshore Guyana Stabroek Block at #2-Payara. The well hit 18 m (59 ft) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone in Payara Field. According to the company, the new discovery adds about 500 MMboe to the discovery. The estimated gross recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block is between 2.25 Bboe and 2.75 Bboe. ExxonMobil is operator and holds 45% interest in the block along with Hess (30%) and CNOOC (25%).

Mauritania

Kosmos Energy announced results from a drillstem test at exploration well #1-Tortue offshore Mauritania. The well flowed at an equipment-constrained rate of about 1.6 MMcm/d (60 MMcf/d) of gas with minimal pressure drawdown. The venture is in about 2,700 m (8,858 ft) of water. The rig is being moved to drill on the Hippocampe Prospect in Block C-8. Kosmos is exploration operator of Block C-8 with a 28% participating interest with BP (62%) and Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (10%).

France

A Horizon Petroleum Ltd. discovery in the Ledieux Exploration Permit in the Aquitaine Basin of southwestern France, #1-Saucede, was placed on production flowing 42.4 Mcm/d (1.5 MMcf/d). According to the company, it produced 52.3 MMcm (1.85 Bcf) of gas during an unspecified period before being shut in. Based on the reservoir test data, it is estimated that the well will produce 707 Mcm/d to 849.5 Mcm/d (25 MMcf/d to 30 MMcf/d) after additional completion techniques are performed. A report by Apex Energy Consultants quantified the contingent resources and prospective resources contained in the permit. About 60% of the contingent resources are contained in the A2 reservoir between 4,200 m and 4,800 m (13,779.5 ft and 15,748 ft). Horizon plans to target the A2 reservoir for an initial development on the #1-Saucede discovery, with the deeper A3 and A4 reservoirs being targeted later.

UK

UK Oil & Gas Investments has received permits to perform extended well testing at #1-Horse Hill in Sussex, U.K. The permit also covers oil storage, drilling a sidetrack from #1-Horse Hill and a new well at #2-Horse Hill. The #1-Horse Hill was tested as an oil discovery that is producing from Kimmeridge Limestone and Portland in License PEDL137 in the Weald Basin. The #1-Horse Hill flowed 32 bbl of 35-degree-gravity oil per day from Portland and 1.365 Mbbl of 40-degree-gravity oil per day from two naturally fractured limestone members in Kimmeridge (KL3 and KL4).

Norway

In production license 124 in the Norwegian North Sea, Statoil completed wildcat well #6507/8-9 northeast of Heidrun Field. The venture hit about an 80-m (262-ft) gas column in the Åre Formation in Båt Group—35 m (115 ft) were in sandstone with good reservoir quality. In a secondary exploration target the well encountered several water-filled sandstone layers with good reservoir quality in lower parts of Åre in the Båt Group. The preliminary estimation of the size of the discovery is 19.9 MMcm to 339.8 MMcm (706 MMcfe to 12 Bcfe). Additional formation testing is planned. The well was drilled to 2,352 m (7,716.5 ft), and area water depth is 358 m (1,174.5 ft). The well will be plugged, and the drillship will be moved to drill #33/9-22 S, a wildcat in production license 881 in the North Sea.

Norway

Results from two appraisal wells in production license (PL) 609, the Alta discovery, were announced by Lundin Petroleum AB. The wells were drilled about 2 km (1 mile) south of the discovery well #7220/11-1, and area water depth is 402 m (1,319 ft). A formation test was conducted at #7220/11-4, and it fl owed 960 bbl oil and 2.6 MMcm (93 MMcf) of gas per day during testing on a 56/64-in. choke. It was drilled to 2,255 m (7,398 ft) and encountered a 48-m (157-ft) hydrocarbon column in Late Permian to Early Triassic conglomerates, of which 44 m (144 ft) was an oil column. The #7220/11-4 A was drilled to 2,027 m (6,650 ft) and encountered a 54-m (177-ft) hydrocarbon column in Late Permian to Early Triassic conglomerates and carbonate rocks in Orn, of which 44 m (144 ft) was an oil column. The rig is being moved to drill a wildcat well, #7220/6-3, in the northern part of PL 609.

China

In China’s Sichuan Basin Sinopec has reported a shale gas discovery at exploration well #4-Dingye. According to the company, the well penetrated commercial quantities of shale gas. It fl owed 205 Mcm/d (7.26 MMcf/d) of gas and is within 150 km (93 miles) of the Fuling Shale gas field. Sinopec has drilled two additional wells on the Dingye structure, but no additional details are available. The Chinese government plans more investment to develop shale gas production to 19.9 Bcm (706 Bcf) by 2020. Sinopec’s current estimate is that Fuling reserves are about 600.3 Bcm (21.2 Tcf).