While the Stabroek Block co-venturers are pleased with the recent appraisal results at Longtail-3, the 20th commercial discovery on the offshore concession, it is highly likely that two other prospects will be next in line for development says Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hess Corporation, Greg Hill.
Expounding on this during his participation in the virtual Fireside Chat at the J.P. Morgan 2021 Energy, Power & Renewables Conference on Wednesday, Hill reminded that one of the objectives on the block this year was to appraise existing discoveries so as to define the cadence and order of future developments.
“So, phase four obviously is going to be Yellowtail and the question is then what is five, six, and potentially seven?” the COO noted. In answering this question, Hill provided his audience with a bit of colour on the latest appraisals that were done.
Hill was keen to note that the Longtail-3 appraisal well confirmed that there is a large aerial and vertical extent to the Longtail-1 discovery, “and so it is a very large reservoir system, so clearly that is going to be in the development queue.”
The second appraisal well he said was Mako-2. Hill said this was very significant since it showed the Uaru/Mako complex is between Yellowtail and Liza which is a “very oily, very good area.” He said this would tend to indicate that Uaru/Mako will be potentially vessel five and therefore jump the queue ahead of Longtail. The COO noted that this decision has not been made as yet but given the crude’s quality and size of the reservoir it is more likely to be selected to underpin the fifth project.
Further to this, Hill noted that the third well that was drilled was Koebi-1. He described it as out-step into the basin in the upper Campanian. He disclosed that it showed hydrocarbons throughout the well, but it was not in commercial quantities.
The next well that the partners are on is Whiptail. Hill said it is on seismic, a very large system that is east of Yellowtail and west of Uaru, and again, in a very oil province. “Obviously, if that is successful, that could be potentially boat six and displace Longtail,” Hill expressed.
OilNOW understands that the Stena DrillMAX will drill Whiptail-1 while the Noble Don Taylor will engage in drilling activities at Whiptail-2.
Behind that Hill said are two wells, Cataback-1 and Pinktail-1, both of which are in the Campanian play while adding that Fangtooth-1, which is in more of a deeper play, is coming up in the queue.
OilNOW recently reported that the Noble Sam Croft drill ship is probing Pinktail-1, located 104 nautical miles (192.6 kilometers) offshore, covering an area of 0.29 square nautical miles.
The rig will then be engaged in drilling operations at Cataback-1 located approximately 104.88 nautical miles (194.24 kilometers) offshore, covering an area of 0.29 square nautical miles.
Once the foregoing exercises are completed, Hill said the partners will go after deeper penetrations in the lower Campanian/ Upper Santonian play as a result of the drilling programme it has planned for the year.
