Ready to get started on its Marquis natural gas project, Alberta-based Canadian Superior Energy Inc. said that it has awarded several drilling services contracts for the initial drilling on the project, which is located 100 miles offshore Nova Scotia. The company estimated the value of the combined contracts at C$12.8 million.

Located about 12.5 miles northwest of Sable Island, Canadian Superior’s Marquis Project is analogous to the recent Deep Panuke Abenaki reef natural gas discovery. Canadian Superior says its Marquis prospect is targeting reserves of up to 2 Tcf, while EnCana — Deep Panuke’s operator — has estimated Deep Panuke reserves at about 1 Tcf.

Contracts awarded include:

“We are extremely pleased to be adding such a wealth of local service and supply experience to the Marquis Project,” said Mike Coolen, Canadian Superior’s director, East Coast operations. “These contracts will provide significant employment and local benefits and we look forward to beginning the drilling of the Marquis L-35 well with the Rowan Gorilla V over the next 4 to 6 weeks”.

Late last month, El Paso Oil & Gas Canada Inc. and Canadian Superior Energy Inc. announced that they had contracted the Rowan Gorilla V for the initial drilling on the Marquis project (see NGI, May 27).

Deep Panuke, which the Marquis project is often compared to, is approximately 15.6 miles to the southwest of the Marquis play and has successfully tested several delineation wells, each with productive capacity in excess of 50 MMcf/d. Canadian Superior said the Deep Panuke discovery production rate is expected to be in excess of 400 MMcf/d when it is brought on line. The first Marquis well will be drilled to a minimum depth of 14,100 feet TVD or, a depth sufficient to test the main deep Abenaki reef section, the company added.

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