Deepest

Shell Oil Co. said last week its new Perdido Development in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), which is in the deepest waters of any such facility in the world, will help answer new calls for natural gas and oil supply that are expected to come once the global economy turns around.

Shell Oil Co. said Monday its new Perdido Development in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), which is in the deepest waters of any such facility in the world, will help answer new calls for natural gas and oil supply that are expected to come once the global economy turns around.

A shortage of rigs will force Nexen Inc. and its partners to delay drilling the deepest of deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) until 2009 — three years later than originally planned.

New York-based Hess Corp. has completed sidetracking its Pony discovery in Green Canyon Block 468, which established a record for the deepest conventional core ever recovered in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Results to date in its 100%-owned discovery have been consistent with pre-drill expectations, and total hydrocarbon resource on the Hess acreage is estimated to be in the range of 100-600 MMboe. The sidetrack well, drilled approximately 2,700 feet northeast of the discovery well to a depth of 30,634 feet, encountered 280 feet of oil-saturated sandstone in Miocene age reservoirs after penetrating 60% of its geological objective. Hess said the oil bearing section in the sidetrack well is similar in thickness and quality to the equivalent interval in the discovery well, which was drilled to 32,448 feet and encountered 475 feet of oil saturated sandstone. The company will next drill an appraisal well with the Ocean Baroness rig at the Pony No. 2 location, about 7,400 feet northwest of the discovery well.

New York-based Hess Corp. has completed sidetracking its Pony discovery in Green Canyon Block 468, which established a record for the deepest conventional core ever recovered in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Results to date in its 100%-owned discovery have been consistent with pre-drill expectations, and total hydrocarbon resource on the Hess acreage is estimated to be in the range of 100-600 MMboe. The sidetrack well, drilled approximately 2,700 feet northeast of the discovery well to a depth of 30,634 feet, encountered 280 feet of oil-saturated sandstone in Miocene age reservoirs after penetrating 60% of its geological objective. Drilling of the sidetrack well was stopped for mechanical reasons after successfully recovering 450 feet of conventional core. Casing has been set across the oil bearing interval to allow for future production. Hess said the oil bearing section in the sidetrack well is similar in thickness and quality to the equivalent interval in the discovery well, which was drilled to 32,448 feet and encountered 475 feet of oil saturated sandstone. The company will next drill an appraisal well with the Ocean Baroness rig at the Pony No. 2 location, about 7,400 feet northwest of the discovery well.

Construction of the deepest deepwater tension leg in the world is finished and installation of the platform rig will begin on the Marco Polo, a unique Gulf of Mexico floating production system, slated to go into operation in July. GulfTerra Energy Partners and Cal Dive International own the platform structure, and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is the operator. Marco Polo was designed to accommodate production from six development wells at a discovery at Green Canyon Block 608. The production system is set in 4,300 feet of water about 160 miles south of New Orleans. With the deepwater tension leg complete, installation of the platform rig and the tiebacks is next. Production capacity is 120,000 bbl/d and 300 MMcf/d. Weather delays “persisted beyond our estimates and caused us some delay in the start-up,” said Mark Pease, Anadarko’s vice president of U.S. onshore and offshore. Ramp-up had originally been scheduled in the first quarter. The plan calls for the oil production to be transported through a 34-mile, 14-inch pipeline. The system would use the Allegheny oil pipeline, where onshore markets would be accessed through the Poseidon Oil Pipeline System. A gas pipeline also is scheduled to connect to a point determined by Anadarko.

Construction of the deepest deepwater tension leg in the world is finished and installation of the platform rig will begin on the Marco Polo, a unique Gulf of Mexico floating production system, slated to go into operation in July. GulfTerra Energy Partners and Cal Dive International own the platform structure, and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is the operator.