Project Profile
Value: Undisclosed
Location: Guyana Basin offshore French Guiana
Start-up Year: -
Water Depth: 10,000 feet (3,048 metres)
The Zaedyus prospect is located in the Guyana Basin offshore French Guiana. In September 2010, Shell exercised its option to increase its interest in the Guyane Maritime block in French Guiana by 12% to 45%, resulting in Tullow having a 27.5% interest in the license. Tullow is carried by both Shell and Total for the majority of the costs associated with the 3D seismic and the forthcoming Zaedyus exploration well. The partners in the Guyane Maritime license are Tullow (27.5%), Shell (operator, 45%), Total (25%), and Northpet Investments Limited, a 50:50 joint venture of Wessex and Northern Petroleum (2.5%). In September 2011, the Zaedyus exploratory well (GM-ES-1) encountered 236 feet (72 metres) of net oil pay in two turbidite fans. Drilling results, wire line logs and samples of reservoir fluids show that the well found good-quality reservoir sands on prognosis.
The well, situated in a water depth of 10,000 feet (3,048 metres), reached a depth of 18,737 feet (5,711 metres). Exploratory drilling will continue, and the well will deepen to a depth of 19,685 feet (6,000 metres) to calibrate the deeper geology. Tullow will then likely sidetrack the well to allow cores to be obtained over the reservoir sections. Drilling operations are being performed in the Guyane Maritime license using the ENSCO 8503 semisub. The Zaedyus discovery unlocked a new hydrocarbon basin within several neighboring prospects that were mapped, so the operator will now consider performing an appraisal program and an extensive follow-up with exploration activities. Zaedyus consortium plans to commence drilling in mid-2012 on the Guyane permit, to follow-up on the Zaedyus oil discovery in late 2011. Appraisal drilling is planned to delineate the discovery. Shell has contracted the Stena DrillMax ICE (UDW drillship) to commence operations mid-year subject to government consent.
Operators:
Shell: Operator with 45% interest
Tullow: 27.5% interest
Total: 25% interest
Northpet Investments Limited (50:50 JV between Wessex and Northern Petroleum): 2.5% interest
Contractors:
Stena Drilling: Provider of the Stena DrillMax ICE (UDW drillship)