Premier pursuing further shallow-water leads in Zama area

Aug. 23, 2018
All potential partners in the shallow-water Zama oil discovery offshore Mexico have agreed to pre-unitization terms, according to Premier Oil.

Offshore staff

LONDON – All potential partners in the shallow-water Zama oil discovery offshore Mexico, which extends across two blocks, have agreed to pre-unitization terms, according to Premier Oil.

Appraisal drilling on the structure on block 7 is due to start during the fall and will comprise two back-to-back wells and one side track. The aim is to confirm the oil water contact as defined by the seismic flat spot and to prove the detailed distribution of the reservoir.

In addition, there are plans for a comprehensive logging and coring program and a flow test of the side track. At the same time, the partners are developing other tieback opportunities on block 7.

Last March, Premier, in partnership with DEA and Sapura secured block 30 inMexico’s Round 3.1. The location is directly to the southwest of Zama in the Sureste basin.

Forward plans call for block-wide 3D seismic acquisition, including across the Wahoo prospect, which exhibits a flat spot analogous to Zama and the Cabrilla prospect. Drilling should start before the end of 2020.

In the same round, Premier won stakes in blocks 11 and 13 in the Burgos basin, directly inshore from the deepwater Perdido fold belt. The company will commission an environmental base line study across both blocks prior to reprocessing existing 3D seismic during 2019.

However, the company has decided to withdraw from block 2 in the Sureste basin, ahead of drilling.

Offshore Brazil, the company has exploration interests in the Ceará basin. The ANP has approved a revised well plan for block 717 (Premier 50%, operator), comprising a single deeper dual-target well to test the Berimbau and deeper Maraca prospects.

This replaces the originally agreed two well commitments.

On block 661 (Premier 30%), the partners plan a well on the stacked reservoir Itarema/Tatajuba prospect. Both these wells should take place during the first half of 2020, testing total resources of more than 500 MMbbl.

08/23/2018