Pogo scores Gulf natural gas discovery

Exploration and production independent Pogo Producing has discovered commercial accumulations of hydrocarbons on its 100 percent-owned Ewing Bank block 948 on the Gulf of Mexico’s continental shelf, Pogo said March 11.

The 948 No. 1 well, located in 725 feet of water, encountered 100 feet of net natural gas and condensate pay with average porosity of more than 26 percent, according to the company. The vast majority of the Pleistocene Angulogenrina-B pay is in a 200-foot laminated sand interval found between 13,710 feet and 13,910 feet measured depth, Pogo said, adding that sidetracking operations are currently under way to determine the optimum take point for the discovery. The discovery will be completed sub-sea and production tied back to a host platform by the first half of 2006, the company said. Two more wells are to be drilled on Pogo’s previously announced six-pack of exploratory wells on Eugene Island Block 256 and Ewing Bank blocks 906/950.

Headquartered in Houston, Pogo owns interests in 90 federal and state Gulf of Mexico lease blocks offshore from Louisiana and Texas. In addition to other oil and gas holdings in the United States, the company has properties in the Gulf of Thailand, Hungary and New Zealand.

—Ray Tyson