Chevron U.S.A. Production Co. announced the discovery of a largenew natural gas trend offshore Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexicothat could hold 1 Tcf of gross reserves. Chevron said the VioscaKnoll Carbonate Trend is unique to the Gulf in part because of itssize and because it’s the first offshore gas reserves to originatefrom Lower Cretaceous reservoirs. The Lower Cretaceous, however,has been productive onshore in Texas, Louisiana and in Mexico.

Viosca Knoll is contiguous to and lies due south of the giantNorphlet natural gas trend, which is also operated by Chevron andestimated to contain 9 Tcf of natural gas. Due to its proximity toNorphlet and other offshore production, natural gas from VioscaKnoll could be tied into existing infrastructure. The discoveriesare expected to be tested later this year.

The discovery wells drilled encountered intervals of natural gasranging in thickness between 35 and 115 feet, at depths of 15,000feet, from Lower Cretaceous reservoirs in the James Formation. Thewells are located 25 miles south of Pascagoula, MS, in water 120feet deep.

Chevron is operator and holds the dominant working interest in71 leases (350,000 gross acres) in the Carbonate Trend, extendingfrom Northwest to Southeast, with five additional leases yet to beawarded from the March Federal OCS lease sale.

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