French Guiana offshore oil search resumes

July 17, 2012
The Stena Drillmax ICE drillship has started drilling GM-ES-2, the second well on the Guyane Maritime permit offshore French Guiana, according to partner Northern Petroleum.

Offshore staff

CAYENNE, French Guiana – The Stena Drillmax ICE drillship has started drilling GM-ES-2, the second well on the Guyane Maritime permit offshore French Guiana, according to partner Northern Petroleum.

This is a follow-up to last year’sZaedyus oil discovery which encountered 72 m (236 ft) of net oil pay in two turbidite sand systems, which the partners contend proves that the Jubilee play offshore Ghana continues across the Atlantic.

Northern quoted a Dow Jones Newswires report in which Shell France CEO Patrick Romeo stated that “drilling should last three months, and Shell hopes to discover a reserve of at least 300 MMbbl of oil.” It also reported a quote in the New York Times by partner Tullow Oil’s Exploration Director Angus McCoss that Zaedyus could be larger than Jubilee, with 1 Bbbl or more of recoverable oil.

7/17/2012