Deepwater gulf well to start flow in 2017

Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas expects to start oil production in 2017 from its Horn Mountain Deep well, which will be tied back to the Horn Mountain truss spar in 5,500 ft of water offshore Louisiana.

The well, drilled to 16,925 ft TD, logged while drilling 142 net ft of Middle Miocene oil pay with excellent reservoir characteristics. Tests indicated the presence of sand sections deeper than known pay sections in Horn Mountain field.

Freeport-McMoRan expects the well and two follow-on Horn Mountain Deep development wells to be able to produce at a combined rate of 30,000 boe/d.

The production unit, on Mississippi Canyon Block 127, has capacity for 75,000 b/d.

According to the operator, which holds a 100% interest in the block, the new results and geophysical data indicate “prolific Miocene reservoir potential for several additional opportunities in the area, including the 100%-owned Sugar, Rose, Fiesta, Platinum, and Peach prospects.”

The company expects production to start in mid-2016 from wells drilled earlier on Horn Mountain tieback prospects—Quebec/Victory, Kilo/Oscar, and Horn Mountain Updip. It said the wells have potential to produce more than 27,000 boe/d.

North of Horn Mountain in Mississippi Canyon, Freeport McMoRan drilled a second successful development well in King oil field, which is south of the firm’s Marlin tension-leg platform in 5,200 ft of water on Viosca Knoll Block 915. With another development well now in progress, the three wells will have combined production potential of 20,000 boe/d. Marlin capacity is 60,000 boe/d.

And in the Green Canyon area southwest of Horn Mountain, Freeport McMoRan is completing three subsalt Miocene development wells in Holstein Deep oil field, in which it holds 100% interest. It expects production to begin in mid-2016 at an initial combined rate of 24,000 boe/d.

The wells will be tied back to the Holstein spar in 4,340 ft of water on Green Canyon Block 645.

The operator plans to drill a fourth well to start a second phase of Holstein Deep development.