US

Eclipse Resources Corp. announced details on a horizontal super-lateral well in Monroe County, Ohio. The Rolland C 5H well was tested flowing 1.1 MMcm/d (40 MMcf/d) of gas from the Utica Shale before being shut in for offset operator activity. The Cranenest Field well is in Section 29, Antioch 7.5 Quad and was drilled from a multiwell pad to 7,933 m (26,027 ft) with a 4,659-m (15,285- ft) northwest-trending lateral and a true vertical depth of 2,982 m (9,783 ft). The company is about to begin completion operations at the Painter 2H well in Tioga County, Pa. The well was drilled to 7,625 m (25,017 ft), 3,429 m (11,250 ft) true vertical, and bottomed about 4 km (2.5 miles) to the southeast.

Cuba

An independent resource assessment for Melbana Energy Ltd. indicated that Cuba’s onshore Block 9 contains a recoverable prospective resource of 718 MMboe. The best estimate of oil in place increased by 24% to more than 15.7 Bbbl, and there was an increase of recoverable prospective resources of 13% to 718 MMboe from three prospects and 16 leads. The assessment includes a 17% increase in the aggregate of best estimate prospective resources to 236 MMbbl of oil from the four targeted objectives contained within Melbana’s initial two-well program of Alameda and Zapato.

Guyana

The most recent evaluation for the offshore Guyana Stabroek Block indicated that the discovered recoverable resources are more than 4 Bboe. Based on the evaluations, Exxon Mobil plans a third phase of development and two possible additional phases. The increase follows completion and testing at appraisal well Liza-5 and the incorporation of the Longtail and Pacora discoveries. The previous recoverable resource estimate was 3.2 Bboe. The first development, Liza Phase 1, will use an FPSO vessel to produce 120 Mbbl/d of oil starting in early 2020. Liza Phase 2, which is sanctioning for the end of 2018, will use an FPSO designed to produce up to 220 Mbbl/d and is expected to be producing by 2022. The collective discoveries on the 26,800-sq-km (10,348-sq-mile) Stabroek Block to date have established the potential for up to five FPSOs producing more than 750 Mbbl/d by 2025, with the potential for additional production including the Ranger discovery. Exxon Mobil is the operator with 45% interest in the block along with Hess Corp. (30%) and CNOOC Ltd. (25%).

Brazil

An Equinor wildcat well in the Guanxuma Prospect in Brazil’s Santos Basin was announced as an oil discovery with 700 MMboe to 1.3 Bboe in recoverable reserves. Equinor is evaluating the volumes and commercial potential of the well. It was drilled to 6,600 m (21,654 ft) in the deepwater Block BM-S-8 presalt area near the Carcara Field. The Guanxuma-1 discovery well is part of the project to develop the block, including the unitization of the Carcara Field with the Norte de Carcará area. Additional appraisal drilling is planned for a Norte de Carcará appraisal and another in Carcara Field. Equinor is the operator of BM-S-8 and the Guanxuma-1 discovery well with 36.5% interest in partnership with Exxon Mobil (36.5%), Petrogal (17%) and Barra Energia (10%).

Namibia

Tullow Oil Plc is preparing to drill an offshore Namibia well in the production exploration license 37 block in the Walvis Basin at the Cormorant- 1 well. According to Tullow, the prospect is one in a series of extensive base-of-slope turbidite fan prospects with significant combined resource potential. The fans directly overlie a mature oil-prone source rock of Aptian age that was recently proven by nearby wells. The 3-D seismic surveys over the block indicated that it has the potential of about 124 MMbbl in recoverable oil. The other prospects in the basin are estimated to contain as much as 915 MMbbl.

Niger

Savannah Petroleum has completed testing at exploration well Eridal-1 (E1) in the R3 portion of the R3/R4 concession in the Agadem Basin in Niger. Wireline logs, fluid sampling and pressure data indicate the well encountered a total estimated 13.6 m (44.6 ft) of net oil-bearing reservoir sandstones in the E1 reservoir unit in Eocene Sokor Alternances with good reservoir quality and light oil. The well was drilled to 2,542 m (8,340 ft) and is being suspended for future re-entry. Production testing is planned.

Egypt

A gas discovery was announced by SDX Energy at the SD-3X well in Egypt’s South Disouq Concession. The well was drilled to 2,390 m (7,842 ft) and hit 9.9 m (32.6 ft) of net conventional gas pay in Abu Madi and Kafr El Sheikh with an average porosity in the pay sections of 21.7%. The well flowed 455,901 cu. m (16.1 MMcf) of gas during an eight-hour cleanup period and was then shut in for 8 hours, with no observed pressure decline. SDX will continue testing the Kafr El Sheikh.

Australia

A study by Triangle Energy indicated that up to 29 MMbbl of prospective oil initially in place is in the Cliff Head Field license area in the Perth Basin, with 10.2 MMbbl in near-field exploration targets. The near-field prospects are close to the producing reservoirs of Cliff Head. The static model shows a near-field exploration potential that could potentially recover up to 10.2 MMbbl (unrisked, best estimate).

Australia

Quadrant Energy Pty Ltd. has confirmed that the company has made additional oil discoveries in the Crespin and Milne Members at exploration well Dorado-1 in its Phoenix project in offshore Western Australia’s Block WA-437-P. Wireline evaluation found additional oil in Caley as well as Crespin and Milne. Light oil was recovered from Crespin containing a gross hydrocarbon package of 50 m (164 ft), a net oil pay thickness of 22 m (72 ft) and average porosities of 14%. Light oil also was recovered from Milne containing a gross hydrocarbon package of 30 m (98 ft) and a net pay thickness of 18 m (59 ft) with average porosity of 13%. According to Quadrant, pressure data have confirmed that the Dorado structure contains multiple oil columns in Caley, Crespin and Milne with a gas and condensate column in Baxter and the total net hydrocarbon pay of 132 m (433 ft), with no water encountered in Caley, Baxter and Milne.

Papua New Guinea

Oil Search Ltd. reported that it hit 25 m (82 ft) of net gas pay within the Toro and Hedinia reservoir at the Barikewa-3 well in Papua New Guinea’s onshore Forelands region. According to the company, the appraisal well successfully intersected a gas-water contact in Hedinia. A drillstem test was performed in Toro at 1,729 m to 1,743 m (5,672 ft to 5,718 ft) and flowed 991,089 cu. m (35 MMcf) of gas to surface during testing on a 68/64-in. choke. The well is in permit area PRL9 and was drilled to 1,943 m (6,375 ft). It will be plugged and abandoned after testing is complete. Participants in the well are Oil Search (45.1%), Barracuda (40%) and NPCP Oil Co. (14.9%).

Onshore