EneryReview.Net on Monday said the good quality 12m oil column discovered at the Amokura-1 well had increased the chances of such a “twin” development, with the two wells being only approximately 4km apart in the northern part of licence PEP 38460.
Yesterday listed partner New Zealand Oil and Gas said extensive wireline evaluation, including the collection of several oil samples, had been done of the Amokura-1 oil column, which was encountered at the top of the Eocene-aged Kapuni F sands. Reservoir quality was excellent, with 100% nett to gross, as encountered in the nearby Tui oil field.
However, NZOG said the integration of the Amokura-1 results into the mapping of the structure, as well as a number of laboratory analyses, still needed to be done in order to accurately estimate the size of the discovery.
“The joint venture is currently investigating the potential for combined development of the Amokura and Tui oil fields. The Amokura-1 well will be suspended so that it can be re-entered, sidetracked, and used for production.”
After the well is suspended later this week, the Ocean Bounty is scheduled to move 70km south to drill Pukeko-1, the second of a probable three wells in the permit.
It is known the PEP 38460 partners believe Tui-1 can flow at least 5000 barrels of crude a day and flow rates at Amokura are likely to be similar, given the close proximity and excellent reservoir characteristics of both wells.
An added “bonus” for the partners is the likely future availability of the Whakaaropai FPSO, currently processing oil from the same Kapuni F sands at the Maui B platform. The Maui B oil project is nearing the end of its economic life and operator Shell Todd Oil Services has been assessing domestic and international interest in the vessel for the past year or so.
A likely development scenario for Amokura-Tui, from perhaps as early as 2006, is a series of directionally drilled wells, subsea completions and a FPSO to process and store the crude prior to offloading into tankers.
Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven has described the Amokura discovery as “the very best thing that could have happened” because a good offshore Taranaki oil find will heighten international interest in the Taranaki Basin, which will be seen as prospective for oil as well as gas.
NZOG believes Amokura could hold 35 million barrels of recoverable oil and Tui 15-16 million.
The PEP 38460 consortium is headed by operator New Zealand Overseas Petroleum (a subsidiary of Houston’s Transworld Oil), NZOG, Pan Pacific Petroleum NL, Australian Worldwide Exploration, and Mitsui and Co.
