HRT Participações em Petróleo S.A.announced that the Moosehead-1 well, the third offshore well in its exploratory drilling campaign, is a dry hole. The Moosehead prospect is in Petroleum Exploration License 24 (PEL-24), in the Orange basin, off Namibia.
The main objective of the Moosehead-1 well (2713/16-1) was to test the resource potential of Barremian-age carbonate reservoirs, expected to be equivalent to the Brazil and Angola "pre-salt" reservoirs, within a 546sq km, 4-way dip closure that was mapped using 3D seismic. Extensive formation evaluation was performed to confirm the nature and quality of the carbonate reservoir and source rock intervals, including wireline logs and sidewall core samples.
The Moosehead-1 well encountered about 100m of carbonates at the primary target. The nature of the reservoir appears similar to the "pre-salt" reservoirs as predicted. However, porosity was less developed than expected, and the well is being considered a dry hole. Wet gas shows were encountered in the section that increased in wetness with depth. At least two potential source rocks were penetrated, including the well-developed Aptian-age source rock. Indications of source rocks in the deeper rift section were also apparent, though not penetrated. Further analysis of the well sampling will greatly help with continuing exploration on the HRT blocks in Namibia.
The Moosehead-1 well was located in 1716m water depth and was drilled to 4170m measured total depth. The well was drilled, wireline logged, and P&A, in 47 days, using the Transocean Marianas semisubmersible. Operational and safety performance was excellent. This completes HRT’s Namibian drilling campaign and the Transocean Marianas is available for sublease.
HRT is the operator of 10 blocks offshore Namibia, which are contained in four Petroleum Licenses. GALP Energia, with 14% participating interest, is HRT’s partner to drill the first 3 wells of the current exploration campaign.
“The Moosehead well concludes HRT’s first drilling campaign in Namibia with very important geological information even though no pay zones were found in this well. The time has come for a thorough analysis of our three well results and assets in Namibia to develop new plans for 2014 and 2015. We conclude this campaign with the understanding that both the Orange and Walvis basins, tested with drilling, are oil and gas prone basins, new exploration efforts will bring commercial hydrocarbon discoveries and that HRT will be part of the future of Namibian exploration,” said HRT CEO Milton Franke.
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