An exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) at the Vito prospect in Mississippi Canyon Block 984 has encountered more than 250 net feet of oil pay in subsalt Miocene sands, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., the well operator, reported. Anadarko has a 20% stake in the prospect; Shell Offshore Inc. holds a 55% working interest and is to become operator after the rig is released. StatoilHydro USA E&P Inc. holds the remaining 25% stake. The partners plan to evaluate the data from the Vito well and time an appraisal well, said Anadarko’s Bob Daniels, senior vice president, Worldwide Exploration. The Vito well was drilled to a total depth of 32,000 feet in 4,038 feet of water using the Noble Amos Runner deepwater drilling rig. Once operations are complete at Vito, Anadarko plans to move the rig to continue drilling operations at its operated Caesar/Tonga development in the Green Canyon area.

North American Energy Resources (NAER) said it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire a 20% interest in the Washington Gathering System, which serves all of the natural gas production in NAER’s northern Oklahoma territory. The transaction is anticipated to close by Aug. 31. The acquisition is an important piece in NAER’s efforts to become a fully integrated gas and oil producer in the area, the company said. The announcement came one day after NAER said it had agreed to acquire 480 acres, including 14 existing oil producing wells, near its Apwash pipeline in Washington County, OK.

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