Three shallow Gulf of Mexico successes for Energy Partners

Allen Baker

Petroleum News contributing writer

Energy Partners Ltd. has three new widely separated gas discoveries in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The New Orleans company says it found 10 feet of gas pay in a 100 percent owned well 180 miles west-southwest of New Orleans. The straight hole in 47 feet of water was drilled to 7,850 feet. Energy Partners plans to complete the well, East Cameron 44 No. 2, with a second rig in the first quarter, and start production in the first half of next year.

A directional well, the High Island 55L No. 4, encountered 58 feet of apparent gas pay in two intervals as the bit worked its way to 8,077 vertical feet below the surface. Vintage Petroleum is operator and holds a 65 percent working interest in that well, with Energy Partners owning 35 percent. Vintage plans two more wells on the block, and will tie back the new discovery to an existing platform early next year. The well is 65 miles east-southeast of Houston in 45 feet of water.

Energy Partners holds a 67 percent working interest in the third successful well, called the Mesa Verde East prospect. It’s in the East Bay field 80 miles southeast of New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi. Drillers punched through two intervals of gas pay totaling 37 feet on the way to a total depth of 13,900 feet. Newfield Exploration owns the remaining interest in that well. Energy Partners plans other exploratory wells in the vicinity of that find.

The young independent, started in 1998, has seven other exploratory projects going and plans to spud two more by the end of the year.

So far this year, the company says it has had 13 successful wells out of 15 drilled. It focuses on shallower waters in the gulf.