Talos hits pay at Zama appraisal well (Mexico)

Talos Energy has hit 152 meters of net pay above the oil-water contact while drilling the Zama appraisal well, testing the giant Zama discovery offshore Mexico.

The Zama-2 appraisal well is the first of three appraisal penetrations drilled by the Consortium to better define the resource potential of the Zama discovery, a two-billion barrel find discovered in 2017.

Talos said that the Zama-2 appraisal penetration was drilled in a down-dip location approximately 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) to the north of the Zama-1 discovery well in an effort to confirm the geological model and define the oil-water contact. This initial phase of the appraisal program was successfully and safely completed on January 20, 2019, approximately 28 days ahead of schedule and 25% below initially projected costs.

The well reached the top of the Zama reservoir at approximately 10,759 feet (3,279 meters) of true vertical depth (“TVD”).

It penetrated 152 meters of net pay above the OWC in line with pre-drill estimates and encountered a higher Net-to-Gross ratio of 73% compared to 63% at Zama-1. Reservoir quality is similar to that at Zama-1 and in line with expectations, Talos said.

Following completion of the data acquisition programme, the Zama-2 well was deepened to evaluate the high-risk Marte exploration prospect. The Marte reservoir was encountered on prognosis and did not find hydrocarbons, Talos added.

The Zama-2 well will now be side-tracked (Zama-2ST1) updip and will include a comprehensive coring programme as well as a drill stem test of the Zama reservoir.

First Zama oil in 2022

President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy S. Duncan said: “We are very pleased with the results of the Zama-2 well as we were able to achieve our primary goals of understanding the depositional environment and the presence of thick sand bodies needed for robust aquifer support, both of which help with ultimate recovery. We also confirmed that this section of the reservoir has similar or better rock properties as compared to the Zama-1 discovery well and that the pressure information indicates connectivity to Zama-1. Perhaps most importantly, the oil-water contact was encountered at the predicted depth, if not slightly deeper.”

“These results provide us with confidence that our geological and reservoir modeling can be used as a predictive tool for the Zama development, just as we’ve been successfully using them on the US side of the Gulf of Mexico. It helps to de-risk not only Zama, but the remainder of the Block 7 inventory.”

“On the operational side, the team has done an exceptional job. By incorporating the lessons learned and experiences from the Zama-1 discovery well, the team was able to successfully and safely execute the well significantly ahead of expectations. We are staying focused on working with urgency to meet the project timeline to achieve first oil by the second half of 2022.”

The appraisal program will continue next with an up-dip vertical penetration in the Zama reservoir from the main bore hole of the Zama-2 well, which will be cored and a drill stem test will be performed. The second appraisal well, Zama-3, will be drilled to the south of the original discovery well and will help delineate the reservoir continuity and quality in the southern part of the field and will be cored to be better understand the reservoir geology.

Talos is using the Ensco 8503 rig semi-submersible drilling rig for the program. The rig which was used when the original Zama discovery was made, will now be used for the entire appraisal program, which is expected to be completed by mid-year 2019.