Phoenix, Arizona-headquartered Freeport-McMoRan boosted its production estimates on both its Holstein Deep and Dorado developments in the Gulf of Mexico, the company announced on 4 December.
Freeport-McMorRan said it expects to achieve 30,000boe/d (15,000 bbl at each) production at both prospects in 2016.
Holstein Deep is in Green Canyon Block 643, west of the Holstein platform in 3890ft of water. Using the Noble Sam Croft drillship, Freeport-McMorRan said the delineation well reached 31,100ft TD in 4Q 2014. The well encountered approximately 234ft net of Miocene oil pay with excellent reservoir characteristics. Based on the results, the company increased the net unrisked resource potential of Holstein Deep to 250 MMboe, up from 140 MMboe.
The company plans to tie the well back to the existing Holstein production facility, which entered production in 2004. Holstein produces through a 149ft diameter truss spar with the capacity to produce 100,000 bo/d and 90 MMcf/d. It operates in 4340ft of water.
Freeport-McMoran says daily production could reach 75,000 boe at Holstein Deep by 2020.
Elsewhere, the company said its Dorado development well reached 14,600ft in December after drilling began in October. Using Transocean's Deepwater Champion drillship, the well encountered 245ft net of Miocene pay.
Freeport-McMoRan says this will be the first of three planned subsea tieback wells to the existing Marlin facility, which will target undrained fault blocks and updip resources south of the facility. Marlin, in production since 1999, is a tension leg platform designed to produce 250MMcf/d and 40,000b/d. It is operating in 3236ft of water, 75mi off Louisiana.
The Dorado development is in Viosca Knoll Block 915 at 3860ft of water. The three-well development is expected to achieve 15,000boe/d in 2016.
Freeport-McMoran owns both the Holstein Deep and Dorado prospects with 100% interest.
In December 2012, the company entered a US$9 billion merger with Plains Exploration & Production, and its subsidiary McMoRan Exploration. At the time of the merger, Plains had just closed a $6.1 billion deal with BP and Shell for portions of their Gulf of Mexico acreage. The assets sold included the Marlin hub, comprised of the Marlin, Dorado and King fields; Horn Mountain, and Holstein.
Image: Holstein platform / BP
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