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Providing coverage of Alaska and northern Canada's oil and gas industry
February 2009

Vol. 14, No. 6 Week of February 08, 2009

Heidelberg provides ‘geologic confidence’

U.S. Gulf’s Heidelberg oil discovery gives Anadarko confidence to pursue additional prospects in deepwater Green Canyon

Ray Tyson

For Petroleum News

Anadarko Petroleum’s latest Gulf of Mexico oil discovery has provided the company with the “geologic confidence” to pursue additional prospects in the deepwater Green Canyon area, Anadarko officials said in a Feb. 2 conference call with industry analysts.

The Heidelberg discovery well, located in roughly 5,000 feet of water and just 30 miles from Anadarko’s 100 percent-owned Constitution production facility, encountered a “substantial” reservoir with more than 200 feet of net oil pay in “several high-quality” Miocene sands, the company said.

“We will be testing additional prospects in the area, probably later this year or into next year,” a company executive said.

Anadarko said it likely would drill an appraisal well at Heidelberg during the second half of 2009. The Heidelberg discovery well, thus far drilled to a total depth of about 28,500 feet, is on Green Canyon block 859.

“The Heidelberg discovery further validates our geologic understanding of the sub-salt Miocene trend,” Bob Daniels, Anadarko’s senior vice president of worldwide exploration, said, noting that the well encountered the same-age sands and reservoir characteristics as the company’s nearby Caesar-Tonga discoveries.

Unit approved for complex

The U.S. Minerals Management Service recently approved a unit agreement for the complex, which includes Tonga West and the Caesar discovery located about three miles to the north. Phase one development should see four wells tied back to Anadarko’s Constitution facility, with first significant volumes as early as 2011. Caesar-Tonga has an estimated resource range of 200 million to 400 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Anadarko said Heidelberg’s relatively close proximity to its Constitution facility “enhances the company’s flexibility to consider a variety of development options” provided appraisal drilling proves up the discovery.

During Anadarko’s 2008 fourth-quarter conference call, company officials said Heidelberg possibly could be tied back to Constitution, or even serve as its own standalone development, with any future satellite discoveries in the immediate area funneled to a central Heidelberg facility, in what is commonly referred to as a “hub-and-spoke” development.

Seven successes in trend

Since 2005, Anadarko has drilled seven successful exploration wells in the same middle-Miocene trend, each targeting resources of more than 100 million barrels of oil equivalent. Anadarko did not provide a specific reserve estimate for Heidelberg, although one analyst placed the discovery at more than 100 million barrels.

Anadarko operates Heidelberg with a 44.25 percent working interest. Partners in the discovery include Mariner Energy Inc. with a 12.5 percent working interest, Italy’s Eni (12.5 percent working interest,) Norway’s StatoilHydro (12 percent working interest,) ExxonMobil (9.375 percent working interest) and Cobalt International Energy L.P. (9.375 percent working interest.)

Once drilling operations are complete at Heidelberg, Anadarko said it plans to move the Noble Amos Runner rig to drill the Vito prospect in Mississippi Canyon Block 984, which Anadarko operates with a 20 percent working interest. Vito is a 30,500-foot test, targeting Miocene objectives in 4,000 feet of water and is on trend with other recently announced industry discoveries at Kodiak and Freedom.

Anadarko also is currently drilling the Shenandoah Lower Tertiary prospect in Walker Ridge block 52. Anadarko operates Shenandoah with a 30 percent working interest.

An additional exploration well is planned to spud during the 2009 first quarter at the Samurai prospect, which is operated by Anadarko with a 33.33 percent working interest. Samurai is a middle-and-lower Miocene test in Green Canyon block 432.






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