Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy, through its Canadian subsidiary Northstar Energy, has assumed the lead role in exploring onshore Nova Scotia, reports consulting firm Canadian Discovery Ltd. Following up on 161 kilometers of 2-D seismic that it shot last summer, Northstar has initiated a five-well slim-hole program on a 500,000-acre parcel, located between Windsor and Truro on the southern flank of the Windsor sub-basin. The first well, the Northstar Cool Brook #1, has been drilled to a depth of 4,593 feet to evaluate Carboniferous-aged objectives. Meanwhile, moves are being made in Nova Scotia's frontier deepwater play. PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, has entered into a partnership with Norway's Ocean Rig ASA to offer deepwater drilling services off Canada's East Coast. The Eirik Raude, a fifth-generation deepwater semisubmersible, is due in service during the first quarter of 2002. Initially, the partnership will contract with PanCanadian for 15 months. The first well will likely fall within Exploration License 2377, operated by PanCanadian's partner, Marathon Canada, says Canadian Discovery. Located 18 miles southeast of the Sable Island gas fields, water depth on the parcel ranges from 300 to 3,000 meters. 1 Canada Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. expects to start flowing gas shortly from its first four wells at its Ladyfern discovery in northeast British Columbia. Daily production from Ladyfern, where the company drilled nine wells this past drilling season, is expected to average 100- to 150 million cu. ft. per day during the second half of 2001. The C-6-H 94-H-1 discovery well, which encountered an intensely dolomitized Slave Point carbonate reef at a depth of 9,235 ft., can deliver 60 million cu. ft. of gas per day. Two additional wells are capable of initial production exceeding 50 million cu. ft. per day, and a fourth well can deliver 25 million cu. ft. per day. A fifth well can make rates of 5- to 10 million cu. ft. per day. The other tests encountered noncommercial reservoirs or nonproductive formations, according to the company. Calgary-based AEC holds a 100% interest in the wells and facilities. 2 Canada During the last three drilling seasons, Calgary-based Progress Energy has transformed a dormant property in northeast British Columbia into one producing 30 million cu. ft. of gas per day. A horizontal reentry, the Progress et al Milo c-76-H/94-J-11, kickstarted the company's activity. To date, the discovery has produced 3 billion cu. ft. of gas, and is currently producing 3- to 4 million cu. ft. per day due to high water influx. The company followed the find with three more wells into the Middle Devonian reefal build-up, each capable of rates exceeding 8 million cu. ft. per day. One of these is currently on production and the other two await tie-in. To the west, Progress struck gas again on a separate pinnacle reef at its b-72-G/94/J-11 well. The discovery tested 10 million cu. ft. per day and has been on production since April. 3 Canada Impressive oil rates continue to be reported from the Dawson area in northwestern Alberta. Ten wells drilled by Calgary-based Berkley Petroleum, prior to its acquisition by Anadarko Petroleum , were commercial oil discoveries in the Devonian Slave Point dolomitic limestone at approximately 6,700 ft. Initial production rates range from 250 to 1,000 bbl. per day. The play involves favorable trapping of reefal carbonates on reactivated basement fault-blocks, and 3-D coverage is crucial in imaging the features, says consulting firm Canadian Discovery Ltd. On the northern margin of the play, National Fuel Exploration Corp. of Calgary, the Canadian subsidiary of Houston-based Seneca Resources , which is a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based National Fuel Gas Co. , has reported three successes in the Slave Point, producing at rates exceeding 200 bbl. per day of oil. 4 Canada Calgary-based Triumph Energy Corp. , recently acquired by another Canadian operator, Baytex Energy , is delineating a liquid-rich gas discovery in the Ferrier area of west-central Alberta. Triumph is producing 4 million cu. ft. of sweet gas and 250 bbl. of condensate per day, net to the company, from four wells. Another three wells await pipeline connection in June 2001. The reservoir is a fine-grained Lower Cretaceous Ellerslie or Jurassic Rock Creek sandstone that trends northwest-southeast at a depth of 8,850 ft. Baytex has an additional pool approximately three miles southeast. The two wells drilled into this discovery will be brought on stream in June as well, with a further two to four wells planned for this summer. 5 Canada Halifax junior Corridor Resources Inc. has successfully appraised its onshore New Brunswick discovery. The company reports that its McCully #2 tested natural gas at a stabilized rate of 2.2 million cu. ft. per day from the Albert Formation. The well, approximately 12 kilometers northeast of Sussex, was drilled by a 50-50 joint venture partnership of Corridor and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. Following completion of testing operations at the McCully #2 well, the partners plan to recomplete and retest the McCully #1 discovery. A third well, the McCully #P-56, is also currently being drilled 2.2 kilometers southeast of the initial well. 6 U.K. North Sea TotalFinaElf has begun producing oil at the rate of 13,500 bbl. of condensate and 42 million cu. ft. of gas per day from Elgin Field in the Central Graben area. The 5,500-meter project, in 92 meters of water, is the largest high-pressure, high-temperature development in the world, and the deepest production in the U.K. North Sea. After Franklin Field comes on stream in August, the complex will be producing 140,000 bbl. of condensate and 460 million cu. ft. of gas per day. Elgin is on Blocks 22/30b, 22/30c, and 29/5b and Franklin is on Block 29/5b. The Elgin-Franklin Operating Group, a venture owned 77.5% by TotalFinaElf and 22.5% by Gaz de France , operates the fields and owns a 46.173% interest. Other major interest-holders are Agip , with 21.867%; BG , 12.35%, and Ruhrgas , 5.2%. 7 U.K. North Sea Talisman Energy Inc. has made an oil discovery in the Flotta catchment area, about five miles to the northeast of Piper Field. The 15/12b-4 exploration well cut a 68-ft. column of light oil in excellent quality Jurassic Piper sandstones. The find, called Lucy, could ultimately produce 20- to 50 million bbl. of oil, says the Calgary-based company. Talisman holds a 76.7% interest in Block 15/12b; Lasmo-Eni , 20%; and Intrepid Energy , 3.3%. The discovery also extends onto license 15/17, in which Talisman holds a 60.4% interest; Lasmo-Eni, 20%; and Intrepid, 19.6%. Talisman plans to drill nine exploration and 46 development wells in the North Sea this year. 8 Egypt Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy Corp. says its North July #1, a discovery in the Gulf of Suez, is currently flowing 5,500 bbl. of oil and 3 million cu. ft. of gas per day. North July, five miles offshore in 169 ft. of water, is producing from an interval between 9,790-9,894 ft. in the Rudeis formation. Devon operates and owns a 100% working interest in the project. The company also reports a discovery south of the Gulf of Suez. The 8,040-ft. SWGEZ-2 well was drilled on the Southwest Gebel El-Zeit concession six miles offshore in 86 ft. of water. It flowed at a combined rate of 6,700 bbl. of oil and 2.4 million cu. ft. of gas per day from two intervals between 7,786-7,894 ft. in the Nubia/Matulla formation. Devon operates the concession and owns a 43.75% working interest; Ocean Energy , 43.75%; and Forum Exploration , 12.5%. 9 Equatorial Guinea Dallas firm Triton Energy Ltd. has extended Ceiba Field, in the Gulf of Guinea, northwest and encountered a deeper oil pool and increased estimated field reserves. The Ceiba-8, drilled on Block G, penetrated 413 ft. of net oil-bearing pay and the Ceiba-9 found 174 ft. of net pay. The field is currently producing 45,000 bbl. of oil per day from its first four wells. Triton operates and has 85% working interests in Block G and the adjacent Block F. Energy Africa Ltd. , South Africa, has the remaining 15%. 10 Angola Exxon Mobil Corp. has made another deepwater oil discovery off the Angolan coast on 4,000-square-kilometer Block 15. The Mbulumbumba-1 was drilled in 850 meters of water to a total depth of 3,770 meters. The find is the tenth one drilled on the block, which to date has estimated reserves in excess of 3.5 billion bbl. of oil. Exxon Mobil, operator, owns 40% of the block; BP , 26.67%; Agip , 20%; and Statoil , 13.33% 11 Bangladesh Chevron Corp. has been awarded rights to explore a 6,880-square-kilometer onshore exploration tract in the eastern Bramanbaria district, east of Dhaka. The Block 9 concession surrounds Bakhrabad Field. Chevron's partners in the venture are Texaco , Tullow Bangladesh Ltd. and Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Co. The group plans a seismic program and three wells on the acreage. Chevron, Texaco and Tullow will each hold a 30% interest in the block, and Bangladesh Petroleum will hold the remaining 10%. 12 China CNOOC Ltd. and Kerr-McGee Corp. have drilled two successful appraisal wells in Field CFD 11-1 of Block 04/36 and in Field CFD 12-1 of Block 05/36, Bohai Bay. CNOOC has a 51% participating interest in both of the fields. Well CFD 11-1-4, the third appraisal well in CFD 11-1, was drilled to 1,540 meters and encountered similar pay to other field wells. Well CFD 12-1-3, the second appraisal in CFD 12-1, was drilled to 2,200 meters, and is currently being cored and tested in a sidetrack hole. Additional appraisal wells are planned this year on the projects, in which CNOOC holds a 51% interest. 13 Vietnam Conoco Inc. has successfully completed development well 15P in Block 15-2 in offshore Rang Dong Field. The well, in 165 ft. of water, tested at a rate of approximately 10,000 bbl. per day from the basement reservoir. Block 15-2 covers 400,000 acres in the Cuu Long Basin, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. With the well, field production will increase from approximately 45,000 to 55,000 bbl. of oil per day. Conoco holds a working interest of 36% in Block 15-2; Japan Vietnam Petroleum Co Ltd. operates and holds 46.5%; and PetroVietnam owns 17.5%.