Italian oil giant Eni SPA, has on Monday announced another discovery in its 50 percent owned Block 9 in the Sureste Basin offshore Mexico. “The preliminary estimates indicate a discovered potential of around 300-400 million barrels equivalents (Mboe) of oil and associated gas in place”, the company said in a statement.
The company had already discovered potential commercial wells in Blocks 7 and 10 in the Sureste Basin.
Eni stated that the discovery well, Yopaat 1 EXP, was drilled in a water depth of 525 meters (1,722.4 feet) in mid-deepwater in the Cuenca Salina part of the basin. Yopaat 1 EXP, which sits about 63 kilometers (39.1 miles) off the coast, reached a total depth of 2,931 meters (9,616.1 feet). The rig encountered 200 meters (656.2 feet) of net pay of hydrocarbon-bearing sands in the Pliocene and Miocene sequences. Spain’s Repsol SA, owns the remaining half.
“The overall estimate of resources in place currently exceeds 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent which allows Eni to advance with the studies towards a potential future ‘Hub’ development, including the discoveries and other prospects present in the area, in synergy with the infrastructures located nearby”, Eni stated.
Last year Eni announced the Yatzil 1 EXP discovery in Block 7. It pegged the well’s potential resources at 200 MMboe. In Block 10, Eni has found two successful wells. Eni owns a 65 percent stake in Block 10. Russia’s Lukoil PJSC holds 20 percent while Capricorn has the remaining 15 percent.
With the Block 9 discovery announced Monday, Eni has now encountered nine successful wells in Sureste.
Eni holds rights in five other exploration and production blocks in Sureste. Seven out of the total eight blocks in the basin where Eni is a participant, are operated by the company, making Eni the “main foreign operator” in Mexico, according to the company.
