ExxonMobil Makes Sixth Oil Discovery Offshore Guyana

ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. has struck oil at its Ranger-1 exploration well, marking the company’s sixth oil discovery offshore Guyana since 2015.

The Ranger-1 well discovery adds to previous discoveries at Liza, Payara, Snoek, Liza Deep and Turbot, which are estimated to total more than 3.2 Bboe.

Esso began drilling the Ranger-1 well on Nov. 5, 2017, and encountered about 70 m (230 ft) of high-quality, oil-bearing carbonate reservoir. The well was drilled to 6,450 m (21,161 ft) depth in 2,735 m (8,973 ft) of water.

“This latest success operating in Guyana’s significant water depths illustrates our ultradeepwater and carbonate exploration capabilities,” said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Co. “This discovery proves a new play concept for the 6.6-million-acre Stabroek Block and adds further value to our growing Guyana portfolio.”

Following completion of the Ranger-1 well, the Stena Carron drillship will move to the Pacora prospect, 6 km (4 miles) from the Payara discovery. More exploration drilling is planned on the Stabroek Block for 2018. This will possibly include appraisal drilling at the Ranger discovery.

With a 45% interest in the Stabroek Block, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. is operator. Partners are Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. (30%) and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Ltd. (25%).

Delek Group Partners In Gulf of Mexico Drilling

Israel’s Delek Group said on Jan. 8 it has signed a deal with GulfSlope Energy and Texas South Energy to explore 12 concessions in the Gulf of Mexico.

Delek, through a foreign subsidiary, agreed to cover 90% of the costs for the first two drillsites—up to $50 million—in exchange for 75% of the rights in those prospective drilling sites at the first stage.

In addition, Delek said it will use its own funds for the project and will have the option to buy rights in the other concessions as well.

A third-party resource report showed a first stage best estimate of 99 MMbbl of oil and 5 Bcm (177 Bcf) of natural gas, Delek said.

BP, Kosmos Partner On Five Ivory Coast Offshore Oil Blocks

Ivory Coast has awarded partners BP and Kosmos Energy five new offshore oil blocks under an agreement with state oil company Petroci, government spokesman Bruno Kone said in late December.

Petroci will maintain a 10% stake in blocks CI-526, CI-602, CI-603, CI-707 and CI-708. Kone did not give a breakdown of Kosmos’ or BP’s stakes.

Elsewhere in West Africa, BP and New York-listed Kosmos are partners on oil and gas blocks off the coast of Senegal and Mauritania. Natural gas discoveries there contain sufficient reserves to warrant two LNG projects, they said.

Ivory Coast, located in the center of Africa’s oil- and gas-rich Gulf of Guinea, has granted a number of licenses following a road show in October 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Africa-focused Tullow Oil has picked up six blocks in recent weeks. SECI, a local unit of French industrial group Bouygues, has signed contracts for two blocks.

In September 2017 an international tribunal ruled in favor of Ghana in a dispute with Ivory Coast over the two countries’ maritime boundary that had slowed exploration.

—Staff & Reuters Reports

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