ATP group has Levant gas discovery at Shimshon

July 2, 2012

A unit of ATP Oil & Gas Corp., Houston, said the Shimshon wildcat in the Mediterranean offshore Israel is a natural gas discovery in the Levant basin.

Alan Petzet

A unit of ATP Oil & Gas Corp., Houston, said the Shimshon wildcat in the Mediterranean offshore Israel is a natural gas discovery in the Levant basin.

ATP East Med BV said the well encountered more than 62 ft of natural gas pay in the Bet Guvrin sands. The Shimshon well went to 14,445 ft subsea in 3,622 ft of water. ATP said expects to provide more information about the discovery in the third quarter of 2012.

The well is south of the Noble Energy Inc. group’s Tamar and Leviathan gas discoveries (OGJ Online, Apr. 30, 2012).

ATP East Med is operator a 40% working interest. Other interest owners in the well are Isramco Negev 2 LP 39%, Naphtha Exploration LP 10%, INOC Dead Sea LP 10%, and IOC-Israel 1%.

About the Author

Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration

Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.

Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.