Touchstone finds hydrocarbons in Ortoire exploration

Touchstone Exploration Inc. encountered hydrocarbon accumulations in the Royston-1 exploration well on the Ortoire block, onshore in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The well, the fifth and final well of the first phase of exploration drilling program on the block, spudded on Aug. 12 using Well Services Petroleum Ltd. Rig #60 and was drilled to a total depth of 10,700 ft. It is the deepest exploration well drilled by Touchstone to date.

The well was designed to explore a thick sequence of Herrera sandstones contained in an overthrust sheet which was observed in the offsetting OL-4 well drilled by Shell Trinidad Ltd. in 1965. Primary targets of the well were Gr7a and Gr7bc Herrera sands in an upper thrust sheet at about 9,700 ft. The well was designed to penetrate the Herrera section observed but not tested in OL-4 at a structurally optimized position based on legacy and new seismic data. It was drilled about 300 ft deeper to investigate a lower thrust sheet identified by Touchstone's subsurface team.

The well encountered total Herrera turbidite thickness of 1,014 ft (609 ft net sand) in two stacked thrust sheets. An aggregate 393 gross ft of hydrocarbon pay was identified in the sheets from 9,700 ft to total depth, with wireline logs indicating that the well was in hydrocarbon pay at total depth.

About 30 ft of hydrocarbon pay was detected in the shallow Lower Cruse formation, and 30 ft of pay was noted in the Karamat Gr7a sands. Based on wireline logs, the well was hydrocarbon charged at the well's total depth of 10,700 ft.

The well is currently being cased and prepared for production testing of the Herrera formation.

Touchstone has 80% working interest in Ortoire block but is responsible for 100% of the drilling, completion, and testing costs associated with the initial five exploration wells. Heritage holds the remaining 20% working interest.