Melrose lines up three Black Sea wells

Offshore staff

VARNA, Bulgaria -- Melrose Resources has contracted the semisubmersible Atwood Southern Cross to drill at least three wells offshore Bulgaria, starting next spring. At the recent oilbarrel.com conference in London, Executive Chairman Robert Adair said the rig was drilling elsewhere at present in the Black Sea, but should arrive in Bulgaria in January.

The company plans to drill targets in its Bourgas Deep, Kaliakra 99, and Rezovska permits. The largest of the structures, Ropotamo, could hold potentially 1.4 tcf of gas, while Izgrev and Kamchia could contain 300 and 400 bcf respectively. Melrose is also reviewing options for two further wells, which could be in its Emine block, or a follow-up to a discovery.

Melrose also recently acquired a 25,000-sq-km deepwater permit off the southern French coast (Rhone Maritime). Work by the company's geologists to date has identified very large Miocene/Pliocene sediments not evident in shallower water to the north.

The company has mapped several potentially giant gas structures (10-30 tcf), but wants to bring in partners to take the program forward.

12/02/2006