Anadarko Spins the Bit at Phobos
Monday 10 July 2017
US independent Anadarko Petroleum is drilling ahead on its latest appraisal of the Phobos discovery in the southern depths of the ultra-deep Gulf of Mexico.
Anadarko started spinning the bit on Phobos-3 in mid-June. The appraisal well is permitted to a depth of about 28,000 feet. The rig is Diamond offshore drillship Ocean Black Hornet. Water depth is 8455 feet.
Anadarko owns a 100% stake in the well.
It is the third test of Phobos, which was first discovered in 2013. The first appraisal well was drilled last year, revealing about 90 feet of "high-quality" net oil pay in Pliocene reservoirs in the Lower Tertiary trend.
That well was was drilled to 29,030 feet and temporarily abandoned early this year, US records show.
The Phobos field is located in Sigsbee Escarpment Block 39, about 12 miles south of Anadarko's Lucius spar. Anadarko has disclosed its intention to develop Phobos as a subsea tie-back to Lucius, assuming a successful appraisal.
In the same area, Anadarko has also recently started drilling a sidetrack of a well in Keathley Canyon Block 875 with drillship Rowan Resolute. It will kickoff at a depth of 18,919 feet.
The original well was drilled immediately prior. The sidetrack is permitted to a depth of 21,223 feet.