Murphy Oil Corp has begun production at two projects in the United States Gulf of America and Vietnam, as well as made another discovery in the Southeast Asian country and successfully appraised an Ivorian discovery.
The Chinook 8 well in Walker Ridge Block 425 had an initial gross production rate of about 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day (boed), Houston, Texas-based Murphy said in a press release Tuesday. The newly started-up Gulf project is tied back to the Pioneer floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) in the Cascade-Chinook field.
Murphy acquired the FPSO last year from BW Offshore Group for $125 million, though the latter continues to operate the platform under a five-year agreement.
Murphy operates the field with an 86.7 percent stake. State-owned Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) owns 13.3 percent through Petrobras America Inc.
The Gulf contributed 57,100 boed including 45,400 bpd of oil to Murphy’s output in the second quarter.
Murphy has now also achieved inaugural production in Vietnam through the Lac Da Vang field in offshore block 15-1/05. “The development is expected to ramp up through 2028 as additional wells are brought online, with net peak production of approximately 10-15 Mboepd in 2028-29”, Murphy said.
Recently Murphy signed agreements with state-owned Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group (PVN) to produce about 57.4 million barrels of oil and 68.8 trillion British thermal units of gas from Lac Da Vang by 2039.
The agreements estimate a “total commercial value of over $4.1 billion, while also establishing a complete mechanism for oil extraction, coordinated oil sales, gas trading and gas connection and transportation infrastructure”, PVN said in an online statement September 28.
Murphy on Tuesday also announced a discovery at the Lac Da Trang North-1X well in the same block. The well, drilled to a depth of about 12,600 feet in approximately 150 feet of water, showed 131 feet of net oil pay.
“The company and its partners will evaluate the Lac Da Trang North-1X data and assess potential appraisal and development options”, Murphy said. “Importantly, the now-producing Lac Da Vang asset provides nearby infrastructure for a potential tieback of the Lac Da Trang North discovery, creating a pathway to a capital-efficient, shorter-cycle development”.
Murphy operates Block 15-1/05 with a 40 percent stake. PVN and South Korea’s SK Earthon Co Ltd own 35 percent and 25 percent respectively.
Offshore Côte d’Ivoire, the Bubale West-1X well in Block CI-103 encountered around 88 feet of net oil pay in the Turonian reservoir. “Additional hydrocarbons were also encountered in the deeper Albian reservoir”, Murphy said. The well was drilled to a depth of about 19,400 feet in over 9,000 feet of water.
“Preliminary analysis of logs and fluid samples indicates high-quality oil. Information obtained from the well will be integrated with existing subsurface data to optimize the remaining appraisal program at Bubale”.
Murphy operates the Ivorian block with an 85 percent stake. Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de la Côte d’Ivoire holds 15 percent.
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