Repsol declares Cuba deepwater wildcat dry

Repsol SA has declared a dry hole at its deepwater exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico north of Cuba, press reports indicated May 18.

The well went to 4,500 m in 5,600 ft of water. Repsol is operator with 40% interest for a group that also includes Statoil ASA 30% and ONGC Videsh Ltd. 30%. The well is the first of three the group plans to drill on the six contiguous blocks it holds offshore between Havana and Matanzas.

The Scarabeo-9 semisubmersible will move about 100 miles west-southwest to drill an exploratory well for Petronas of Malaysia and Gazprom of Russia. Petronas and Gazprom have 70% and 30% interests, respectively, in the N44, N45, N50, and N51 blocks.

Then the rig is scheduled to move drill a third exploratory well off the western tip of Cuba, where Petroleos de Venezuela SA holds the N54, N54, N59, and N59 blocks (see map, OGJ, Dec. 11, 2000, p. 42).

Repsol drilled the Yamagua-1 wildcat to 3,410 m in 1,660 m of water on Block N27 in 2004 and said it found “the existence of oil generation in the basin as well as an excellent carbonate complex,” but that well was also a dry hole.