Toreador Resources and Stratic Energy close-in to tap 1.6 tcf
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Pam Boschee, International Editor
Turkey’s offshore activities have been notable over the last few months as Stratic Energy Corp. and Toreador Resources Corp. move forward with development drilling of the Ayazli and Akkaya discoveries and continue exploration of surrounding areas.
In May 2004, Stratic farmed-in to Toreador Resources Corp.’s interest in eight contiguous permits in the Turkish Black Sea covering more than 962,000 acres, with an estimated total potential in excess of 1.6 tcf.
Stratic agreed to carry 25% of the costs of the first well to be drilled on the acreage in return for a 12.25% working interest in all eight permits.
The farm-in well was drilled in July 2004 on the Ayazli prospect in 80 m of water some 15 km north of Akcakoca in northwest Turkey. Exploration well (Ayazli -1), which was the first well drilled in the region since 1976, was drilled with the jackupPrometheus and successfully tested dry gas with a very low sulfur content at a flow rate of 15 MMcf/d.
The Turkish National Oil Co. (TPAO) then exercised its right to back-in to a 51% working interest in the eight permits and agreed to carry its share of the costs of all future activity on the permits.
The agreed partnership interests in all eight permits are TPAO (51%), Toreador Resources (operator and 36.75%), and Stratic (12.25%).
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Phase I development
The region will be developed in stages, depending on the results of drilling activity. Phase I covers the Ayazli-Akkaya trend and is well underway. It is planned to involve at least eight producing wells, up to four tripod platforms, an offshore pipeline system, gas processing facilities at landfall, and a short onshore pipeline to connect to the national gas infrastructure. First gas production, expected to reach 50 MMcf/d, is targeted for the second half of 2006.
On the Akkaya discovery, the Akkaya-2 development well was successfully drilled with the jackupSaturn, and logs indicated about 21 m of net gas pay.
The Akkaya-3 development well, which is being drilled using theSaturn, is nearing total depth and results were expected to be announced by late April.
Planning is underway for exploration in the deepwater Akcakoca trend to the north of the Ayazli-Akkaya trend and in the acreage to the east of the current discoveries. Interpretation has begun of high-resolution 2D seismic data, acquired in late 2005, to identify prospects for drilling this year.
Drilling of the shallow water prospects will take place after completion of the current Ayazli-Akkaya trend drilling campaign. The deeper water campaign, Phase II, will be conducted with Atwood Oceanic’s semiSouthern Cross and is expected to start late in 3Q 2006 following an extension of its current contract in the Mediterranean.
The first production tripod is expected to be ready for installation on the Akkaya field once theSaturn has completed testing the Akkaya-2 and -3 wells.
Preparing for production
The joint venture operating committee has exercised the option on a third tripod production structure, which will be set along with the Ayazli and Akkaya tripods in the May - July time frame. The engineering, procurement, installation, and commissioning (EPIC) contract for the tripod production structures was awarded to Momentum Engineering, Dubai, UAE, in January 2006.
On the Dogu Ayazli structure, the Dogu Ayazli-2 appraisal well was successfully completed early last month. It was drilled by the jackupPrometheus to a total measured depth of 1,456 m (4,778 ft) with a bottomhole location approximately 600 m (1,969 ft) west-northwest of the Dogu Ayazli-1 exploration well.
During testing of Dogu Ayazli-1, the production rate from the bottom 10 m of pay improved to over 9.0 MMcf/d of gas from an initial rate of 7.3 MMcf/d.
Dogu Ayazli-2 logs indicate natural gas in approximately 106 m of net pay in 10 zones in the same Kusuri producing formations as Dogu Ayazli-1.
Dogu Ayazli-2 will be tested when it is tied-back to the Dogu Ayazli production tripod to be installed later this year.
Operations on Dogu Ayazli-2 have been suspended, and thePrometheus is preparing to move to a new location approximately 2.5 km to the east to drill the Bayhanli-1 exploration well on a separate prospect between the Dogu Ayazli and Akkaya discoveries.
Bids for the construction of the subsea pipeline connecting the tripods to the onshore production center have been opened and are undergoing evaluation. As of April 7, it was expected that the contract for the construction and laying of the offshore pipelines would be awarded in the next few weeks.
