Bulgaria
Ramco Energy plc, Aberdeen, spudded Tangra-1 in early August on the Shabla Block 91-1 in 45 m of water in the Black Sea under a turnkey contract using the Tavrida jackup owned by Chernomorneftegaz of Ukraine.
Ramco anticipates 4-5 weeks until results. It holds 65% and the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters 35% of a production sharing contract on the block, which has 620 sq km in less than 100 m of water south of the Romanian border.
Ramco in November 1998 acquired MMS Petroleum plc, which identified the Tangra prospect from 850 km of seismic data (see map, OGJ, Mar. 2, 1998, p. 110).
The well lies offshore from Tulenovo oil field, producing since the 1950s and one of Bulgaria's largest fields.
Acquisition of MMS also brought Ramco Moinesti Block VI off Romania, where Ramco completed a 230 km seismic program at end July.
China
China National Star Petroleum Corp. discovered the first oil field in Tibet Province, China Daily reported.
Cnspc estimated 10 million metric tons of probable reserves and possible oil and gas reserves of 100-150 million metric tons in the Lunpola basin, in northern Tibet 185 miles northwest of Nagqu.
Most likely reserves for the Vicky discovery on Block 32/32 off Wenzhou in the East China Sea are estimated at 705 bcf of gas following anslysis of 3D seismic data, said Primeline Energy Holdings Inc., London.
The new estimate, up from the previous 660 bcf, is derived with a much higher degree of confidence. Vicky is also known as Lishui 36-1 (see map, OGJ, Aug. 9, 1999, p. 80).
Guatemala
Union Pacific Resources Group Inc. plans to drill two exploratory wells and two horizontal development wells in second half 1999 in Guatemala, which it said holds enormous oil potential.
UPR shot and processed 573 line km of proprietary 2D seismic data in 1998 and shot 200 sq km of 3D data over Xan oil field and adjacent exploration acreage. The 3D survey was only the second shot in the country.
The company held 100% of six blocks and was seeking two more. It controls 1.9 million gross acres.
Two contract areas produced 25,000 b/d of oil in early 1999, most of it from Xan field where UPR drilled seven infill wells in first half 1998. Almost all of the oil is shipped to the U.S. UPR added a seventh pump station to its 285 mile pipeline to the expanded 420,000 bbl terminal at Puerto Barrios.
Kazakhstan
Lukoil and the Kazakh unit of Hurricane Hydrocarbons Ltd., Calgary, plan to hike oil output from Kumkol field in the Kyzyl-Orda region of southern Kazakhstan.
Hurricane, in the midst of what likely will be a lengthy merger process with the Chimkent refinery, told Reuters the field was producing about 87,600 b/d in late July compared with 36,500 b/d last February.
An agency of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Trade in late July reduced by more than 21% to $15.70 (U.S.)/metric ton the processing fee the refinery is allowed to charge.
Hurricane said it will begin rail exports of about 12,000 b/d of Kumkol oil to China in second half 1999. Almost all current production stays in Kazakhstan with 5% exported to Europe.
North Sea
A Conoco group started production from Bell gas field in the Jupiter project area in the U.K. North Sea within 6 months after the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry issued development consent.
Discovered in 1994 by well 49/23-8, the field is producing 110 MMscfd of gas from a single, protected subsea wellhead connected by an 8 in. pipeline to the Callisto South manifold less than 100 m away. Gas is transported from there via the Ganymede production platform through the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System pipeline to Conoco's Theddlethorpe terminal.
The field lies on blocks 49/22 and 49/23. Interests in Block 49/22 are Conoco 20%, Mobil 50%, and Statoil 30%. Mobil drilled the production well, 49/22-20, and Conoco handled subsea tie-ins and commissioning.
The BP Amoco operated Bessemer group proved Bell field's reserve in 1998 with well 49/23-9. With the reservoir extending over two blocks, the two groups agreed to develop their own reserves separately but in tandem using its existing pipelines.
New Brunswick
Columbia Natural Resources Canada Ltd., Calgary, and Corridor Resources Inc., Halifax, N.S., planned a multiwell exploratory drilling program for gas and oil in southeastern New Brunswick.
Columbia is to pay $1 million (U.S.) for a 50% working interest in Corridor's Sackville and Elgin sub-basins north of Halifax (see map, OGJ, Sept. 28, 1998, p. 107).
The companies will conduct a seismic survey in the Sackville area this summer and drill wildcats this fall, one near Sackville and one near Elgin. Corridor will operate during 1999, and Columbia will begin as operator in 2000.
Columbia's U.S. affiliate has operations in nine states from New York to Tennessee and is one of the Appalachian basin's largest gas and oil producers.
Alabama
Spirit Energy 76 is drilling a second horizontal well to Jurassic Smackover, a re-entry, in giant Chunchula field, Mobile County.
The company's first horizontal well there flowed 7 MMcfd of gas, 291 b/d of condensate, and 680 b/d of water from open hole at 18,414-19,896 ft measured depth, IHS Energy Group reported.
The field has produced more than 383 bcf of gas, 77.5 million bbl of condensate, and 2 million bbl of water from Smackover and has 48 active wells.
Alabama has only one other horizontal Smackover well, in Huxford field, in Escambia County 6 miles north of Big Escambia Creek field (see map, OGJ, May 21, 1990, p. 22).
Mississippi
Threshold Development Co., Fort Worth, received a permit for more drilling to Cretaceous Tuscaloosa in Lincoln County.
The 1 Wirick, in 15-6n-6e, 4 miles northeast of Arlington, is to go to 11,000 ft. It is near the same operator's 1 Kornegay, in 21-6n-6e, Franklin County, which has production casing set at 10,704 ft, IHS reported.
These wells are just east of Threshold's McCall Creek field discovery well, which has produced 6,940 bbl of oil since going on production in February 1999.
Gibraltar Energy Co., El Dorado, Ark., opened Mississippian Sanders sand as a new pay in Van Vleet field in the Black Warrior basin.
The 1 Swalenberg 29-10, in 29-12s-4e, Chickasaw County, flowed 300 Mcfd of gas with 300 psi FTP on a 16/64 in. choke from perforations at 1,800-14 ft, reports Southeastern Oil Review, Jackson. The field has produced from Abernathy and Carter/Lewis sands.
Nevada
V.F. Neuhaus Properties, McAllen, Tex., plans to deepen a shallow well in Pine Valley.
The 1 Tomera Ranch, in 33-31n-52e, Eureka County, is to be deepened to 3,500 ft from old TD of 1,956 ft to evaluate Mississippian and Devonian.
The 1990 well produced about 6,600 bbl of 21° gravity oil from a shallow alluvial sand within valley fill before being shut-in, IHS reported. The well was the second in Tomera Ranch field about 28 miles southwest of Elko.
Oklahoma
Deep exploration is returning to the area around abandoned Potato Hills gas field.
GHK Co., Oklahoma City, staked 15,000 ft wildcats in 3 and 5-2n-20e, Pushmataha County. Objectives include Arkansas Novaculite, Missouri Mountain, Atoka, Jackfork and repeated sections of Stanley and the other formations, IHS reported.
The company has drilled a string of shallower Jackfork tests in Latimer County to the north, about 10 miles west of Talihina.
Texas
South
Geonatural Resources Inc., Dallas, has drilled two followup wells near a Wilcox discovery in Webb County.
The 2 Ortiz Ranch, 9 miles northeast of Laredo, flowed 3 MMcfd of gas on a 16/64 in. choke with 1,855 psi FTP from Lobo 6 sand perforations at 6,250-65 ft and 6,301-03 ft. CAOF is 5.289 MMcfd.
The company has staked the Ortiz 5. Ortiz 3 and 4 are awaiting completion.
