New analysis of drilling results on the Darwin gas and condensate discovery made in the South Falklands Basin suggests that it could contain up to 2.6 Tcf of wet gas-in-place and 263?MMbbl of recoverable condensate.
Operator Borders and Southern’s new estimates come from a second phase of reservoir engineering studies, reinterpretation of seismic data and use of rock physics data from the Darwin East well. Originally it had suggested the find, drilled in April 2012, could contain around 200 MMbbl of recoverable liquids and that an FPSO could be the best development solution, exploiting the liquids and reinjecting gas back into the reservoir.
“Our new base case model estimates a wet gas-in-place of 2.6 Tcf and recoverable condensate of 263 MMbbl,” the company declared.
Since discovery, the company has reprocessed seismic data from 2008 and merged it with 2013 data, with this latter data allowing improved resolution, improved amplitude mapping, and fault definition, further improving potential distribution of hydrocarbons over two compartments, Darwin East and West.
Underlining that the 263 MMbbl figure for recoverable condensate depends on successful appraisal, Borders and Southern says this includes the Darwin East area. It comments that, based on seismic interpretation, the Darwin West area is both structurally higher and has two additional reservoir intervals below the main reservoir which could add to the total recoverable resource, depending on their quality and thickness.
Future work will focus on detailed assessment of merged 3-D data, and initial observation of the 2013 data is “very encouraging,” B&S says, adding: “Improved seismic resolution and analysis of the seismic attributes will add to our understanding of the geology and prospect definition. There is a lot of work ahead but we are optimistic that it will result in an inventory of impressive low risk, amplitude supported prospects.”
In August 2012 Borders and Southern reported that the Darwin East well, 61/17-1, encountered 67.8 m of net pay with an average porosity of 22%, in a good quality sandstone gas condensate reservoir comprising. Three fluid samples were taken from each of four separate intervals in the well after being drilled with the Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible.
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