Area Drilling

AUSTRALIA

A unit of Apache Corp., Houston, spudded the 1 Helicon wildcat July 2 on permit WA-254-P in the northern Carnarvon basin off Dampier, Western Australia.

Target is the Jurassic Angel sandstone wedged between a mid-Tithonian shale and Dingo claystone. Projected TD is 3,200 m.

A flat spot on 2D seismic indicated hydrocarbon po- tential in the structural stratigraphic trap 20 km northwest of Wandoo oil field.

Working interest holders are Apache, Clyde Petroleum plc, Victoria Petroleum NL, and Kestrel Energy Inc., Denver.

Another well, Sage 1, is to be drilled in November.

INDONESIA

A group led by Atlantic Richfield Berau Inc. was starting the Wiriagar Deep-5 appraisal well on the Berau block in Bintuni Bay, Irian Jaya.

Wiriagar Deep-3, the fourth appraisal well, flowed a combined 43 MMcfd of gas on five drill stem tests in Paleocene and Jurassic. Previous wells flowed 30-110 MMcfd on a 1 in. choke.

The Wiriagar Deep-1 discovery flowed 90 MMcfd of gas from Triassic sandstone in 1994 (OGJ, June 17, 1996, p. 26). The group is appraising the Wiriagar structure, which spans the Wiriagar and Berau production sharing blocks, for a prospective LNG development.

Arco holds 80% and 48%, respectively, in Wiriagar and Berau in partnership with Kanematsu Corp. of Japan 20% in Wiriagar and with Kanematsu 12%, Occidental Petroleum Corp. 22.86%, and Nippon Oil Co. 17.14% in Berau.

U.S. GULF

Western Geophysical was starting a 3 year, $150 million, 1,000 block 3D seismic survey in Gulf of Mexico deepwater areas.

Western will acquire data in multiple phases in 6,000-9,000 ft of water in Green Canyon, Walker Ridge, Atwater Valley, Mississippi Canyon, and adjacent areas.

CALIFORNIA

HarCor Energy Inc., Houston, plans more horizontal drilling adjacent to giant Lost Hills oil field depending on production performance of its first such completion.

It drilled the 48H-10 Lost Hills pilot horizontal well on the Ellis lease to 3,450 ft vertically and then 2,000 ft laterally outside the diatomite reservoir's previously developed area.

Production started June 17. Average flow in 5 days in late June was 280 b/d of 40° light oil and 827 Mcfd of 1,250 BTU gas on a 20/64 in. choke with 956 psig FTP.

MICHIGAN

Terra Energy Ltd., Traverse City, Mich., reported completion of three discoveries that extend Devonian Antrim shale gas production northwestward into Benzie County.

PI reports that the wells, 6-10 miles northwest of Thompsonville, flowed 32-46 Mcfd of gas from Antrim. The wells encountered the zone at 700-1,100 ft. They are 3-8 mile northwest extensions from nearest Antrim gas production in Manistee County.

MISSOURI

Whittington Operating Co., Houston, plugged a rank wildcat in Stoddard County.

It drilled to 1,850 ft at 1 Hill, in 28-27n-12e, 8 miles west of Sikeston and some 70 miles southwest of nearest Illinois basin production. Permitted TD was 2,200 ft.

The operator began taking samples at 1,150 ft to analyze Cretaceous Nacatoch sand but encountered no sand from 1,200 ft to TD.

Whittington plans no further drilling on the 3,000 acre block.

NEW MEXICO

Labrador Oil Co., Dallas, is starting a remote Pennsylvanian wildcat in the nonproducing Tucumcari basin.

The 1 Mescalero, in 1-6n-22e, Guadalupe County, is projected to 19,000 ft some 60 miles northwest of nearest Permian Basin production, PI reported.

The site is 21/2 miles southwest of the basin's deepest penetration, Labrador's 1 Mr. Jones-State, a 1995 dry hole bottomed at 16,923 ft.

Harvey E. Yates, Roswell, N.M., staked a remote wildcat in Otero County.

OKLAHOMA

More action is reported in the Pennsylvanian Lower Jackfork gas play in eastern Oklahoma (OGJ, July 8, p. 60).

Chesapeake Operating Co., Oklahoma City, completed the 1-22 Weyerhaeuser, in 27-4n-21e, Lat- imer County, for 757 Mcfd of gas on a 28/64 in. choke with 725 psi FTP from treated perforations at 5,640-9,368 ft. The discovery is 1 mile northeast and east of Northwest Talihina field.

PI reports that Ward Petroleum Corp., Enid, completed the 1 Sara, 1 mile east of the 1-22 Weyerhaeuser, as an apparent Jackfork discovery but has not released details.

Vastar Resources Inc., Houston, staked a 13,000 ft Jackfork wildcat, the 1 Addie Mae, in 20-3n-18e, Latimer County. PI notes that location is 1 mile northwest of one of only two previous wildcats drilled in the township. GM Oil Properties completed the 1 Tioneon, in 28-3n-18e, in 1994 for 210 Mcfd of gas from Pennsylvanian Johns Valley at 3,056-3,145 ft. It has remained shut in.

Meanwhile, JB Drilling, Fort Smith, Ark., sought spacing for the Jackfork and Mississippian Stanley zones in 9-3n-20e, Latimer County, 12 miles southeast of Wilburton, Okla., in the same play. The proposed spacing unit is just south of Buffalo Mountain gas field, where a single well produces gas from 18,742-818 ft from Lower Jackfork previously identified as Pennsylvanian Spiro. Four other wells farther northeast are shut in.