By OGJ editors

Well off Peru flows oil, gas at hefty rates

HOUSTON, Mar. 9 -- A well in Corvina field off northwestern Peru has flowed at rates of 40 MMcfd of gas and 3,150 b/d of crude oil from separate intervals, exceeding expectations, said BPZ Energy Inc., Houston.

BPZ ran four drillstem tests at the CX11-21XD well that covered a total of 413 ft in the Miocene Lower and Upper Zorritos formations.

DST-4 over 130 ft of pay in the top of Upper Zorritos flowed 40 MMcfd with 1,500 psia wellhead pressure. The nearly pure methane is ideal for the proposed 160-MW, 40 MMcfd power plant at Nueva Esperanza.

DST-3 of 45 ft in the middle of Upper Zorritos made 3,150 b/d of 22° gravity sweet crude, no water, with 1,000 psia wellhead pressure. BPZ may later test other intervals that appear to contain crude oil.

DST-2 on 138 ft of lowermost Upper Zorritos was inclusive due to mechanical problems and may be retested later as the company feels the zone may still contain commercial hydrocarbons.

DST-1 over 100 ft of Lower Zorritos produced gas and so much formation water that the zone is deemed noncommercial in this part of the field. BPZ is optimistic that this formerly untested formation contains commercial gas as evidenced on logs from three other Corvina field wells.

The well is strikingly similar to the 8X-2 well that the former Tenneco drilled decades ago in Albacora field, which BPZ plans to redevelop soon. The 8X-2 well tested 4,365 b/d of oil and 21 MMcfd of gas with 893 b/d of condensate.

BPZ plans to rework the shut-in CX-11-16X well that previously tested 16.6 MMcfd and then drill a second new well in Corvina field to prove up more gas reserves and appraise the oil discovery.