Melbana Energy to increase production onshore Cuba
Melbana Energy Ltd. will workover the existing Alameda-2 completion within the Amistad Unit 1B reservoir followed by drilling production wells in Block 9 PSC, Cuba.
The workover of Alameda-2 is planned to start early February 2025. The program is designed to remediate interpreted near-well formation damage identified from the original Drill Stem Test (DST) and subsequent extended production testing in the Amistad Unit-1B oil reservoir (OGJ Online, Jan. 24, 2023).
Key steps in the workover program include using a service rig to pull the completion, add perforation intervals in the upper and lower Unit 1B, and undertake an acid wash and squeeze before re-running the completion.
Amistad-2 will be the first well drilled into the Unit 1B reservoir within the Amistad Structure. Using existing 2D seismic control, Amistad-2 will be drilled to the South from Pad #9 and is designed to intersect the entire Unit-1B pay interval and numerous interpreted fracture sets. The surface location is about 800 m from, and 200 m updip to, the successful Alameda-2 well and is targeting a 16 million bbl highest confidence (1C) resource. Drilling is planned to commence immediately after the workover of Alameda-2.
Future 3D seismic will allow development wells to be accurately positioned to more efficiently develop and potentially extend the recoverable 2C Contingent Resource of 46 million bbl. A pre-bid seismic scouting process was completed with contractors during the December quarter, data from which will be incorporated into the survey design.
Melbana’s preferred Block 9 export plan is to truck crude to receiving pits connected to oil storage tanks at the nearby oil storage terminal before export from the port.
Block 9 production sharing contract covers 2,344 sq km onshore on the north coast of Cuba, 140 km east of Havana in a proven hydrocarbon system and along trend with Varadero oil field.
Melbana Energy is operator at Block 9 with 30% interest with Sonangol holding the remaining 70%.
Alex Procyk | Upstream Editor
Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
