Hydrocarbon exploration firm Apache and French energy firm Total have made a second oil discovery at the Sapakara West-1 well on Block 58 off the coast of Suriname.
The Sapakara West-1 well is approximately 20km southeast of Maka Central-1.
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Drilled to a depth of 1,000m, the well encountered 79m net pay of high-quality light oil and gas condensate. The companies have tested it for the presence of hydrocarbons in the upper Cretaceous- Campanian and Santonian intervals.
In January, Apache and Total made first oil discovery at Maka Central-1 well on Block 58 and encountered 73m (240ft) of oil pay.
Apache operates and owns a 50% working interest in the block while Total holds the remaining 50% interest.
Total Exploration senior vice-president Kevin McLachlan said: “We are very pleased to announce this second discovery, following from the discovery of oil at Maka Central-1. The results are once again very encouraging and confirm our exploration strategy in this region.”
The next drilling campaign will take place on the Kwaskwasi prospect while a fourth exploration well is planned on the Keskesi prospect.
Total noted that it would become the operator of the block after drilling the fourth well.
According to Apache, Block 58 comprises 1.4 million acres and offers significant potential beyond the discoveries make at Sapakara West and Maka Central wells.
Apache CEO and president John J Christmann 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.”
