Joe oil discovery opens new play offshore Guyana

Sept. 16, 2019

Offshore staff

LONDON – Tullow Oil has proven more oil with its second well on the Orinduik block offshore Guyana.

The drillship Stena Forth drilled the Joe-1 prospect in 780 m (2,559 ft) of water in an Upper Tertiary play previously untested in the Guyana basin.

Logging and sampling data shows the well encountered 14 m (46 ft) of net oil pay in good-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

According to partner Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas, the partners are assessing additional thinner sands above and below the main pay for possible incremental pay.

Tullow said the result, following the breakthrough Jethro oil discovery, had de-risked the petroleum system in the west of the Orinduik block, where there are numerous other Tertiary and Cretaceous age prospects.

Eco said the partners, which include Total, will now conduct a detailed evaluation of the Jethro, Joe, and Hammerhead extension oil reservoirs on the block.

Prior to the start of the current campaign, Eco’s Competent Persons Report on the block has delivered a best estimate of 3,982 MMboe gross.

Later this month, Tullow will participate in Repsol’s shallow-water Carapa-1 well in a Cretaceous oil play on the Kanuku license offshore Guyana, to be drilled by the jackup Rowan EXL II.

Colin Kinley, COO and co-founder of Eco Atlantic, said: “We set a strategy to first focus on these shallower Tertiary plays as they have a huge positive effect on overall economics and allow a speedy path to production. Fast, low risk drilling to thick, clean, high porosity oil-bearing sands has decreased the drilling costs and greatly de-risks the development.”

09/16/2019