Gran Tierra marks third oil discovery of 2024 with Ecuador find
Gran Tierra Energy Inc. discovered oil in Charapa-B6 well on Charapa block in Ecuador’s Oriente basin.
The exporation well, the first drilled in the block since the successful Charapa B5 well, was drilled in 2022. Gran Tierra has since run production casing, cemented and perforated the Hollin oil zone, and has begun production testing.
The zone was perforated over 50 ft of reservoir with 45 ft of reservoir pay based on log evaluation. A jet pump was run and the well has produced at stabilized rates over 53 hrs at 2,118 bo/d, 28.2° API gravity oil, 2.2% water cut, and 21 scf/stb gas-oil ratio (GOR).
Charapa-B6 is just west of the recently announced Arawana-J1 and Bocachico Norte-J1 discovery wells on the adjacent Chanangue block, further underscoring the potential of the prospective region, the company said (OGJ Online, May 28, 2024, Aug. 6, 2024).
Charapa-B6 is Gran Tierra’s fifth consecutive discovery in Ecuador since resuming operations in the South American nation after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of these five wells are drawing medium to light hydrocarbons from distinct geological zones, suggesting potential of Oriente and Putumayo basins and exploration opportunities that remain within both Charapa and Chanangue blocks. The five discoveries combined have so far produced 778,000 bbl oil.
Gran Tierra started drilling the Charapa-B7 exploration well on August 9.
Gran Tierra is 100% owner and operator of wells Arawana-J1, Bocachico Norte-J1, Zabaleta-K1, Zabaleta Oeste-K, and Charapa block.
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).