HOUSTON-headquartered Pogo Producing Company is about to start infill 3D seismic work off Taranaki in preparation for its first New Zealand drilling campaign.
Pogo Asia-Pacific regional manager Gerry Morton told PetroleumNews.net that the Pacific Titan seismic vessel was soon due to start shooting about 150 square kilometres of 3D “ribbon” seismic, 5-13km miles off north Taranaki in the PEP 38489 lease.
“Its purpose is to further delineate leads in that area for possible future drilling and is being shot as a shoreward extension of the survey that we acquired in 2005,” Morton said from Houston.
The Swire Pacific-owned vessel, currently working off Taranaki-Northland over a number of licences for Origin Energy and partners, is due in Port Taranaki, New Plymouth, on Saturday.
Pogo plans to drill up to two wells in its first drilling campaign since entering New Zealand about three years ago.
Morton said the only definite well so far was Kanuka-1, in neighbouring licence PEP 38488. The semi-submersible Ocean Patriot rig is to drill this once it has completed a campaign in the Tui Area oil fields for an Australian Worldwide Exploration-led consortium.
It is understood that the Pogo wells will be targeting gas rather than oil. The near-shore prospects are close to the sizeable Pohokura gas-condensate field being developed by operator Shell NZ, Todd Energy and Austrian firm OMV.
Pogo operates and holds a 50% interest in PEPs 38488-490, along with government-owned Mighty River Power (25%) and Mitsui E&P Australia (25%).
