Saasken oil discovery : Italian oil and gas giant Eni has pulled off a new oil discovery in the Cuenca Salina basin in Mexican waters through the drilling of the Saasken-1 NFW well.

The exploratory well targeted the Saasken prospect contained in Block 10 in the mid-deep water of the basin, which in turn is located within the Sureste Basin.

As per preliminary estimates, the Saasken oil discovery could hold 200-300 million barrels of oil, said Eni.

The Saasken-1 NFW well is the sixth consecutive successful well drilled by the Italian oil and gas company in Mexican waters in the Sureste Basin. Located about 65 kilometers off the coast, the Saasken-1 NFW exploratory well was drilled by the Valaris 8505 Semisub in a water depth of 340 meters before reaching a total depth of 3,830 meters.

Eni said that the Saasken-1 NFW well discovered 80 meters of net pay of good quality oil in the Lower Pliocene and Upper Miocene sequences. The Italian oil and gas giant claimed that the reservoirs have excellent petrophysical properties.

Eni stated: “An intensive data collection has been carried out on the well and the data acquired indicate a production capacity for the well of more than 10,000 barrels of oil per day.

“The discovery is opening a potential commercial outcome of Block 10 since several other prospects located nearby may be clustered in a synergic development.”

The Block 10 Joint Venture, which contains the Saasken oil discovery, is operated by Eni with a 65% stake. The other partners in the offshore Mexican block are Lukoil (20%) and Capricorn Energy (15%).

According to Eni, the partners will work to appraise the new oil discovery in Mexico and to exploit nearby synergies with an aim to begin studies towards commercial development.

  Capricorn Energy, Cuenca Salina basin, Eni, Lukoil, Mexico, Saasken-1 NFW well, Sureste Basin, Valaris, Valaris 8505 Semisub