Operators active in Vietnam have been enjoying recent successes. In the prolific Cuu Long Basin, partners in the multinational Cuu Long Joint Operating Co. (CLJOC) have added another find to its "Lion" series of fields. Participants in the operating company are ConocoPhillips, PetroVietnam, Korean National Oil Corp., SK Corp. and Geopetrol. CLJOC discovered a new accumulation it calls SuTu Trang (White Lion), completing an exploratory well flowing 8,682 barrels of oil and 69.6 million cubic feet of gas per day from three Tertiary zones. The 15-1-ST-1X was drilled in 180 feet of water to a total depth of 14,524 feet on offshore Block 15-1. In the same block, CLJOC has placed SuTu Den (Black Lion) Field onstream at a rate of 60,000 barrels of oil per day. Seven wells are producing from weathered and fractured granite and granodiorite basement. To the south, in Vietnam's portion of the Malay Basin, Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc.'s Hoa Mai-1X, drilled on Cai Nuoc Block 46/02, encountered a 52-foot gas column and tested 34 million cubic feet of gas per day while constrained by the capacity of testing equipment. Talisman estimates that the find contains between 70- and 100 billion cubic feet of gas. The discovery is 5.5 miles northwest of Talisman's Bunga Kekwa C platform. Talisman's partners in the Cai Nuoc block are PetroVietnam and Petronas Carigali. 1 Canada EnCana Corp. is expanding coalbed-methane (CBM) development on 700,000 acres of royalty-free land that it owns in southern Alberta. During the next five years, the company expects to increase its gas production from coal seams to more than 200 million cu. ft. per day. EnCana has been producing about 3 million cu. ft. of gas per day from 35 wells at a demonstration project in Strathmore, Alberta. In second-quarter 2003, it started a 200-well CBM program, and it plans another 300 wells this year. At year-end 2004, the company expects to be producing 30 million cu. ft. per day from its CBM wells. 2 Canada ConocoPhillips is proceeding with its Surmont oilsands project, about 40 miles southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta. By 2012, the $1.1-billion project is expected to produce more than 100,000 bbl. of bitumen per day. Initial production will commence in 2006. The Surmont project will use the steam-assisted gravity drainage process, which involves injecting steam into the oil sands. The steam melts the bitumen, which then can be pumped to the surface. ConocoPhillips operates Surmont and has a 43.5% interest in the project, Total has 43.5% and Devon Energy Corp., 13%. 3 Colombia Houston independent Gulfsands Petroleum Ltd. has drilled its Prado-1 exploration well to the total depth of 2,247 ft. in the Alborada Block in the Upper Magdalena Valley. The well tested a large structure in the Monserrate (La Tabla) formation. Log data indicate a potentially significant oil column in the Monserrate sands between 1,000-1,400 ft. and 1,700-2,100 ft. Gulfsands is running 7-in. production casing in the well, says working-interest partner EnerGulf Resources. The 75,000-acre Alborada block is adjacent to the Espinal producing fields, and immediately south of the recently discovered Guando Field. 4 Argentina ChevronTexaco says that it will invest $150 million in the Neuquen Basin in 2004, about 15% more capital than it spent in the region in 2003. Most of the investment will be directed at El Trapial Field, which the company operates and in which it holds an 85% interest. It also was recently awarded rights to the Chasquivil block. In separate activity, Repsol YPF says that it is planning to spend some $1.2 billion in the Neuquen Basin during the next four years. 5 U.K. Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. has made an oil discovery in the U.K. Central North Sea. The 21/1a-20 well was drilled on the J5 prospect, about six kilometers northeast of Buchan Field in Block 21/1a. The well tested at the rate of 7,100 bbl. of oil and 7.6 million cu. ft. of gas per day from an Upper Jurassic sandstone reservoir. Rates were constrained by the capacity of the surface equipment, says Talisman. No oil/water contact was encountered. It estimates that the discovery contains 10- to 40 million bbl. of oil in place. The find will likely be tied back to the company's 2002 J1 discovery, which is 2.5 miles northwest and contains an additional 40- to 70 million bbl. of oil in place. Talisman operates the well and holds a 94.014% interest; First Oil has the remaining 5.986%. 6 Algeria First Calgary Petroleums has agreed in principle with Sonatrach to develop Menzel Ledjmet East (MLE) Field in Block 405b in the Berkine Basin. First production is expected in 2007. The $700-million development plan calls for construction of a gas-processing plant capable of handling 650 million cu. ft. per day. The field contains estimated gross proved, probable and possible recoverable reserves of more than 5.7 trillion cu. ft. of gas equivalent. First Calgary recently acquired 230 square miles of 3-D seismic in the area adjacent to MLE Field, and now plans to contract a second drilling rig. It says that it has identified at least eight exploration and appraisal locations on the block. 7 Egypt Another significant gas find has been made in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore the Nile Delta. BP drilled its Ruby-2, about 40 miles off the coast of Alexandria, in 2,500 ft. of water in the West Med Deep Water concession. The discovery produced at a rate of 1 million cu. ft. of gas per hour from Pliocene reservoirs. BP owns an 80% working interest and German firm RWE DEA holds 20% in the concession. 8 Angola BP has made a third oil discovery in ultradeepwater Block 31. The Marte-1 was drilled in 6,560 ft. of water and reached a total depth of 13,753 ft. During testing, it flowed at the rate of 5,200 bbl. of oil per day. Marte, some 100 miles offshore, joins the previously announced Plutao and Saturno discoveries on Block 31. BP operates and holds a 26.67% interest in Block 31; Sonangol holds 20%; ExxonMobil, 25%; Statoil, 13.33%; Marathon Oil, 10%; and Total, 5%. In separate activity, ExxonMobil has made two additional oil discoveries on deepwater Block 15. The Kakocha-1 was drilled in 3,376 ft. of water to a total depth of 9,140 ft. and tested at the rate of 4,500 bbl. of oil per day. The Tchihumba-1 was drilled in 3,904 ft. of water to a total depth of 13,684 ft. and tested at the rate of 7,470 bbl. of oil per day. This brings to 16 the total number of discoveries on the prolific block. ExxonMobil operates Block 15 and holds a 40% interest; BP, 26.67%; Eni Angola Exploration, 20%; and Statoil, 13.33%. Sonangol is the concessionaire. 9 Saudi Arabia Shell has signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian government to explore for gas in Saudi Arabia. Its partners in the venture are Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Total Ventures Saudi Arabia. The consortium will begin to explore its area, which comprises 77,220 square miles of the South Rub Al Khali, early this year. 10 Kazakhstan Oil has been tested from two prospects drilled adjacent to Kashagan Field in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea by the North Caspian Sea PSA consortium. Project operator Eni says that the Aktote-1, drilled from an artificial island to a total depth of 14,000 ft., found oil at 12,332 ft., and was tested over a reduced interval at a rate of 1,550 bbl. of oil per day on a 28/64-in. choke. The Kashagan SouthWest-1, drilled to a total depth of 19,274 ft., encountered oil at 15,908 ft. and flowed 2,200 bbl. per day on a 32/64-in. choke. Other consortium members are Shell, Exxon Mobil, Total, ConocoPhillips and Japan's Inpex. 11 China Husky Oil has signed a petroleum contract with CNOOC Ltd. for the exploration of Block 04/35 in the East China Sea. The 1,866-square-mile block is about 200 miles east of Shanghai. Husky agreed to drill one wildcat to a depth of 8,200 ft. during the first three years of the contract. CNOOC is entitled to participate for up to a 51% interest in any commercial discoveries within the contract area. 12 Thailand ChevronTexaco Corp. has found oil and gas in two exploration wells on its recently acquired 20,000-acre Block 9a, just east of and adjacent to Tantawan Field in the Gulf of Thailand. The company is applying for a production area license for the two wells. The Tantawan-23, drilled in the southern part of Block 9a and due east of the Tantawan "C" platform, logged 162 net ft. of pay, mostly oil, reports partner Pogo Producing Co. The Tantawan-24, drilled in the northern part of the block, logged 98 ft. of net pay, mostly gas-prone. Production from the wells will be tied into the existing oil and gas production facilities of Tantawan Field in adjacent Block B8/32, operated by ChevronTexaco.