Amoca well confirms big oil potential in Area 1 offshore Mexico

July 13, 2017
Eni’s shallow-water Amoca-3 well in the Campeche Bay offshore Mexico has proven multiple significant oil intervals in the Orca and Cinco Presidentes formations.

Offshore staff

SAN DONATO MILANESE, ItalyEni’s shallow-water Amoca-3 well in the Campeche Bay offshore Mexico has proven multiple significant oil intervals in the Orca and Cinco Presidentes formations.

The well was drilled in 25 m (82 ft) of water to a TD of 4,330 m (14,206 ft) in Contractual Area 1, 200 km (124 mi) west of Ciudad Del Carmen, 1.5 km (0.9 mi) southwest of Amoca-1 and 3 km (1.8 mi) northwest ofAmoca-2.

It intersected 410 m (1,345 ft) of net oil pay, 25-27° API, in several high-quality Pliocene reservoir sandstones; 300 m (984 ft) of the pay were in the deeper Cinco Presidentes sequence, in various Pliocene-age clusters.

During the production test, 45 m (147 ft) of the Cinco Presidentes reservoir were opened to production with the well flowing 6,000 b/d of 25° API crude.

Amoca-3 well has since been suspended but will be re-entered later for production purposes.

Following the results of this latest well, Eni has lifted its estimate of the Amoca field’s in-place reserves to 1 Bboe. Across Area 1 the total estimated resource base is presently 1.3 Bbbl of oil in place, 90% being oil, with further upside.

The company plans to submit an accelerated and phased development plan later this year targeting an early production phase with a plateau in the range of 30,000-50,000 b/d, with operations set to start in early 2019.

Exploration of Area 1 continues with the first appraisal well on the Miztón discovery, to be followed by other wells either appraising further finds or exploring undrilled prospects.

CEO Claudio Descalzi said: “The Amoca field…represents an optimal opportunity for a phased development approach with a low breakeven. It is an ideal project in this low oil price environment.

“Eni’s objective is to become the first international company to establish operating production in Mexico, which would be the first tangible success of the country’s…‛Reforma energetica’ campaign.”

07/13/2017