Sub-Commercial Discovery Disappoints Salamander Offshore Vietnam

- Sub-Commercial Discovery Disappoints Salamander Offshore Vietnam

Thursday, September 01, 2011
Salamander Energy plc

Salamander announced the completion of the Cat Ba-1X ("101-CB-1X") exploration well in Block 101-100/04, offshore northern Vietnam. Block 101-100/04 was the subject of a farm out as announced on May 31, 2011.

The 101-CB-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 1,724 meters. The well encountered 38 meters of net hydrocarbon pay in Tertiary clastics, the secondary objective of the well. The pay section comprises a series of gas-bearing sandstones underlain by an oil-bearing reservoir. A full suite of wire-line logs and pressure data were recorded over the reservoir sections and samples of oil and gas were recovered.

These data show that the Tertiary reservoirs are of good quality, however pressure data and seismic mapping indicates the in-place resource volumes encountered by the well are probably below levels needed for commercial development.

No oil shows were observed and only low levels of gas were recorded while drilling the primary objective, the Palaeozoic 'buried hills' play. Subsequent wire-line logging did not reveal any zones of interest. The Cat Ba-1X well has subsequently been plugged and abandoned as a sub-commercial discovery.

James Menzies, Chief Executive, Salamander Energy, said, "While a sub-commercial find is disappointing, we have an active drilling program into 2012 which sees a mix of exploration, appraisal and development around our three primary areas of focus. These are proven regional plays, where we believe we can create significant value."

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Earb South Discovery Disappoints Partners

- Earb South Discovery Disappoints Partners

Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

Marathon Oil Norge AS, operator of production license 505, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 25/10-11 testing the Earb South prospect in PL505.

The well was drilled about eight kilometers southwest of the previous discovery, 25/7-2, in the North Sea, about 40 kilometers south of the Heimdal field.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Draupne and Heather formation). The secondary exploration target was reservoir rocks in the Middle Jurassic (Hugin formation).

Hydrocarbons were proven in a 95-meter interval with thin reservoir zones, in Middle/Upper Jurassic rocks. Hydrocarbons where also found in an intermediate 283 m gross interval, however, also in poorly developed reservoir rocks. A deeper zone had poorer reservoir properties, which was expected.

There were also hydrocarbons in the intermediate layer, but these were also in poorly developed reservoir rocks. The interval was production-tested, but did not achieve stable flow. Due to poor reservoir properties the well is not considered commercially interesting, but the licensees will consider further work in the production license.

The well is the first exploration well in production license 505, which was awarded in APA 2008.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4534 meters below the sea surface, and was terminated in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks. The water depth is 120 meters. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 25/10-11 was drilled by Transocean Winner which will now proceed to production license 431 in the Norwegian Sea to drill wildcat well 6406/3-9, where Maersk Oil Norway AS is the operator.

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Ophir's Kora-1 Well Disappoints

- Ophir's Kora-1 Well Disappoints

Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Ophir Energy plc

Ophir announced the completion of drilling operations on the Kora-1 well in the AGC Profond Production Sharing Contract (PSC). Final wireline logging is now being carried out and the well will be plugged and abandoned as an unsuccessful exploration well.

Kora-1 was a frontier exploration well drilled by the Maersk Deliverer semisubmersible in 2,600m of water and targeting a salt-cored, dip-closed anticline. The well was drilled to a total depth of 4447.5m subsea.

Formation Evaluation While Drilling (FEWD) data shows that the primary (Albian) and secondary (Coniacian and Barremian) reservoir intervals were penetrated close to their anticipated depths, but the well encountered a predominantly claystone and thinly‑bedded limestone sequence rather than the prognosed sandstone reservoir facies. In the absence of reservoir facies it is difficult to immediately assess the potential presence of hydrocarbons on the available FEWD data. A fuller analysis of the data will be required before the wider implications for the prospectivity of the Senegal-Guinea Bissau portion of the MSGBC Basin can be determined.

In June 2011, Ophir completed the last of a series of farm outs on the asset. After the farm outs, Ophir's costs on the Kora-1 well have effectively been carried by the other partners. The beneficial interests in the AGC Profond PSC and the Kora-1 well are as follows:

• Ophir (Operator) 44.2%
• Noble 30.0%
• l'Entreprise (State company) 12.0%
• FAR 8.8%
• Rocksource 5.0%

The Kora-1 well has fulfilled the work commitment for the current phase of the AGC Profond PSC.

Ophir's Managing Director, Nick Cooper commented, "The failure to find viable reservoir facies has been a disappointment at this location. However, Kora-1 was a frontier, playfinder well and represented the first exploration test of the deepwater Senegal-Guinea Bissau portion of the MSGBC Basin. As such, the well has provided important data with which to calibrate the stratigraphy of this extensive basin.

"The Joint Venture partners will now undertake a full review of the well results and their implications for the plays and significant remaining prospect inventory within the AGC Profond PSC.

"In parallel, Ophir is now preparing for an acceleration in drilling activity, with a 2011-2012 campaign of at least 11 high‑impact wells across Ophir's Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea and Gabonese acreage."

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