Kwaskwasi discovery : Apache, Total report third discovery in Block 58, Suriname

Kwaskwasi discovery : Apache Corporation and Total have made a significant third discovery in the Block 58 offshore Suriname following the drilling of the Kwaskwasi-1 well with the Noble Sam Croft drilling ship.

The other two discoveries in the offshore Surinamese block are the Maka Central discovery made in January 2020 and the Sapakara West discovery made in April 2020.

The Kwaskwasi discovery was pulled off by drilling the Kwaskwasi-1 well to a depth of around 6,645 meters in a water depth of around 1,000 meters where it intersected a total of 278 meters net pay of hydrocarbons, made up of 149 meters net in good quality Campano-Maastrichtian alongside 129 meters of net hydrocarbon pay in Santonian reservoirs, where additional wireline logging is being carried out to establish the quality of the fluids.

Kevin McLachlan – Senior Vice President Exploration at Total said: “We are very pleased to announce a third discovery in a row, following the two oil discoveries at Maka Central and Sapakara West this year.

“This very encouraging results confirm our exploration strategy in this prolific zone, which targets large volumes of resources at low development costs.”

Map showing the Kwaskwasi discovery and other two discoveries in Suriname Block 58. Image courtesy of Apache Corporation.

The Kwaskwasi-1 wildcat well was drilled by Apache Corporation in the role of an operator with a 50% stake in Block 58 with Total holding the remaining 50% working interest.

According to Total, the next and fourth wildcat well in Block 58 will be spudded on the Keskesi prospect using the  Sam Croft drilling ship. The French oil and gas giant will become the operator of the offshore Surinamese block following the drilling of the fourth exploratory well.

Total said that the partners plan to carry out an appraisal campaign of the Block 58 discoveries in early 2021 to better characterize them, besides taking up an additional exploration program.

Commenting on the Kwaskwasi discovery, John J. Christmann – Apache Corporation CEO and President, said: “We are thrilled with the results from the Kwaskwasi-1 exploration well. This is the best well we’ve drilled in the basin to date, with the highest net pay in the best quality reservoirs.

“While we have a lot more work to do, a discovery of this quality and magnitude merits a pace of evaluation that enables the option of accelerated first production.”