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Posts Tagged ‘offshore drilling’

In addition to the details previously provided, some interesting insights from Envoi, agent for United Oil and Gas, follow:

  • Only 11 exploration wells have ever been drilled in the entire country (comprising an area of around 258,137 kmincluding all the offshore areas), all between 1955 and 1982
  • Hydrocarbon shows were observed in all but one of these wells despite not having tested valid structures, as is evident on the latest data
  • Just 2 of the 11 wells were drilled offshore
  • Extensive onshore fieldwork and seep analysis studies have confirmed mature Eocene and Cretaceous oil-prone source rock potential, with migrated oil identified in onshore wells and outcrop samples. These include Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) aged organic shales exhibiting total organic carbon (TOC) up to 8% with maturity.
  • Modelling also suggests significant oil potential exists in mature Cretaceous source kitchens in both the Walton and Morant basins while shallower Palaeogene shales with TOCs up to 15% could also locally be deep enough to be mature.
  • An independent Prospective Resources Audit completed by Gaffney Cline & Associates in December 2020 estimates that just 11 of the total 21 prospects & leads defined to date contain a combined total unrisked mean prospective recoverable resources in excess of 2.4 Billion STOOIP (stock-tank oil initially in place). Of this, 406 MMbbls is attributable to the Colibri Prospect alone, with an upside of 966 MMbbls STOOIP.
  • United is offering a material interest and potential operatorship to suitably qualified parties in the license in return for a commitment to fund a well to test the Colibri Prospect before January 2026, which would fulfill the obligations for the current Second Exploration Period of the Licence.

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Opinions on Jimmy Carter’s presidency vary, but he merits praise for his administration of the OCS program from 1/1977 to 1/1981. Carter oversaw an active leasing program in all OCS regions. On the operations side, he appointed Don Kash to head the Conservation Division of the US Geological Survey, the OCS regulator at the time. Dr. Kash was an outstanding leader and a gifted communicator and program manager.

Some of the Carter administration’s impressive accomplishments during his 4 year term:

  • 15 lease sales including 3 offshore Alaska, 3 in the Atlantic, and 1 offshore California
  • Drilling activity in all 4 regions: GoM, Pacific, Alaska, and Atlantic
  • Natural gas discovery in the Mid Atlantic (Hudson Canyon Unit)
  • North, Mid, and South Atlantic District offices for permitting and inspections
  • 5300 well starts including 97 in water depths > 1000′
  • 314 new platforms including Cognac, the world’s first platform in > 1000′ of water
  • Comprehensive amendments to the OCS Lands Act (1978)
  • Annual natural gas production reached nearly 5 tcf (approximately 6 times current OCS gas production)
  • Annual oil production was approximately 1/2 current levels which is impressive given that the deepwater era was just beginning and shelf wells had relatively low productivity.

Thank you Jimmy. I hope you are resting comfortably with your family during your final days.

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United Oil & Gas

Jamaican Energy Minister Daryl Vaz “cautiously anticipates a play-opening exploration well declaration by 2024.”

bnamericas

With extensive seismic data coverage, including 2,250 km2 of 3D data, numerous plays and prospects have already been identified and mapped across the area – leading to over 2.4 billion barrels unrisked mean prospective resources being assigned to the licence. The drill-ready, high-impact Colibri prospect alone contains mean prospective resources of 406 mmbbls.

United Oil & Gas

The Colibri prospect is in 750 m of water, and according to this article, would be developed with a tenstion-leg platform if a commercial discovery is made.

BOE will be following this interesting project closely.

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Not really, but current economic and energy security realities doomed a bill to prohibit drilling and production in State waters. Strong quotes from bill opponents:

“SB 953 was held because it didn’t work — it was going to cost the state billions of dollars for a symbolic victory,” Andrew Meredith, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, said in a statement. “The California Senate is rightfully more concerned with actually improving the plight of workers and our environment than chasing headlines.”

Politico

“I think most legislators understand that every barrel of oil we don’t produce here under our strict environmental rules must be imported by foreign tankers floating offshore in our crowded ports from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, or the Ecuadorian rainforest,” California Independent Petroleum Association CEO Rock Zierman said in a text message.

Politico

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The rig count remains low at 12 (see the updated chart below). Per BSEE’s borehole file, only 3 deepwater exploratory wells have been spudded in 2022 YTD (2/21) – one each for Shell, Hess, and Anadarko.

What’s going on? Better opportunities elsewhere? Uncertainty about lease sales? Concerns about legal challenges and the future of the US offshore program?

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Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a critical swing vote, has rejected a provision (in the “Build Back Better Bill”) that would prohibit all future drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to three people familiar with the matter

Washington Post

New oil and gas leasing is unlikely in these areas, but broad permanent bans are never a good idea.

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United Oil & Gas is looking for partners to drill the promising Colibri prospect offshore Jamaica. United’s exploration license has been extended after the completion of Jamaica’s first 3-D seismic survey. The results were encouraging as indicated in the video below. High risk, high reward opportunity!

Walton Morant - UOG
United Oil and Gas Video

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