Swift Energy New Zealand president Alan Cunningham today confirmed industry rumours that Trapper-A1 had struck some hydrocarbons. However, he declined to detail what those might be.
“We plan to perforate the well and possibly fracc it mid-year, although no decisions have yet been made regarding that,” he told EnergyReview.net from Wellington.
He also confirmed that the Parker Drilling Rig 188 had left the Trapper well site after reaching the scheduled target depth last month. He declined to comment further but said Swift Energy might release further details in its first-quarter results due out early next month.
Swift Energy New Zealand and downstream energy player MRP joined forces in March last year to explore for “deep gas” (Eocene-aged or earlier) in the onshore Tariki-Ahuroa-Waihapa-Ngaere (Tawn) fields and the more southern Rimu-Kauri fields at depths of 3000m or more. That JV arrangement has since grown to include the southern offshore Taranaki licence PEP 38495.
The first Swift-MRP well, Tawa-B1, was a duster, failing to find commercial hydrocarbons. The second and third wells, Goss-A1 and Trapper-A1, were spudded earlier this year and the Parker Drilling Rig 246 is still at the Goss-A1 site in the Waihapa field area. Trapper-A1 is in the nearby Ahuroa field area.
Cunningham said the second well in the Swift Energy JV with another downstream New Zealand energy company, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, was scheduled in the more northern licence PEP 38742 after Rig 246 had been released from the Goss program.
He anticipated Kowhai-A1 – targeting Eocene-aged Kapuni Group sands in the Mangahewa field – would spud about mid-May.
The first Swift-Ballance well, Karaka -A1, which targeted Miocene-aged Mount Messenger sands, failed to find any worthwhile hydrocarbons early last year.
