Sapakara West-1 discovery : Apache Corporation and Total have claimed to have made a significant oil discovery on Block 58 offshore Suriname following the drilling of the Sapakara West-1 well.

Sapakara West-1 is the second oil discovery made in the offshore Surinam block with the first reported in January in the form of the Maka Central discovery through the drilling of the Maka Central-1 well.

Apache and Total used the Noble Sam Croft drillship to drill the Sapakara West-1 well to a depth of nearly 6,300m. Both the companies hold a 50% stake each in the Sapakara West-1 well with Apache being the operator.

According to Apache, the Sapakara West-1 well was tested for traces of hydrocarbons in multiple stacked targets in the upper Cretaceous-aged Campanian and Santonian intervals.

Apache said that the preliminary fluid samples and test results indicate at least 259ft of net oil and gas condensate pay in two intervals. The shallower Campanian interval contains 43ft of net gas condensate and 98 feet of net oil pay, with API oil gravities in the 35-40 degrees range. The deeper Santonian interval contains 36 meters (118 feet) of net oil-bearing reservoir with API oil gravities between 40 and 45 degrees.

John J. Christmann – Apache CEO and President said: “Our second discovery offshore Suriname this year further proves our geologic model and confirms a large hydrocarbon system in two play types on Block 58. Based on a conservative estimate of net pay across multiple fan systems, we have discovered another very substantial oil resource with the Sapakara West-1 well.

“Importantly, our data indicates that the Sapakara West-1 well encountered a distinct fan system that is separate from the Maka Central-1 discovery we announced in January this year.”

Block 58 which spans around 1.4 million acres is expected to have many more possible oil finds beyond the ones at Sapakara West and Maka Central. Apache claims to have identified more than seven distinct play types and over 50 prospects within the thermally mature play fairway.

After wrapping up the Sapakara West-1 operations, the Noble Sam Croft drillship will begin work on the third prospect, which is Kwaskwasi, located about 10 kilometers northwest of the Sapakara West-1 discovery.

Keskesi, the fourth prospect, will be drilled nearly 20 kilometers southeast of Sapakara West-1. Both the Kwaskwasi and the Keskesi prospects will test oil-prone upper Cretaceous targets in the Campanian and Santonian intervals in reservoirs that are said to be independent from the Maka and Sapakara discoveries.

  Apache Corporation, John J. Christmann, Noble Sam Croft drillship, Sapakara West-1, Suriname, Suriname Block 58, Total