Eni SPA discovered the presence of oil in the Amoca-2 well, the first drilled by an international operator in Mexico since the 2013 energy reform. The well lies in the Gulf of Mexico’s Southeast basin 1,200 km west of Ciudad del Carmen in 25 m of water in Mexico’s Campeche Bay. Eni was awarded the 67-sq-km block along with Amoca, Mizton, and Tecoalli fields in Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission Round One second tender in 2015 (OGJ Online, Sept. 30, 2015).
Amoca-2 reached a total depth of 3,500 m and encountered 110 m of net oil pay from several Pliocene reservoir sandstones, of which 65 m were in a deeper, previously undrilled horizon. Shallower formations contained 18° gravity oil. Eni said the newly discovered deeper sandstones “contain high quality light oil.” The operator is assessing reserves.
The company will move ahead with its Area 1 drilling campaign with a new well in the Amoca area, Amoca-3, followed by the Mizton-2 and Tecoalli-2 delineation wells, which will be drilled this year to appraise existing discoveries as well as targeting new undrilled pools.
Eni holds a 100% stake in the Area 1 production-sharing agreement and is evaluating options for a fast-track phased development of the fields.
