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Melbana plans 2 appraisal wells at Block 9

AUSTRALIA’S Melbana Energy said on Novem- during the appraisal programme. “The drilling
ber 15 that it had decided to drill two appraisal of the Alameda-1 exploration well in 2021/2022
wells at Block 9, the licence area onshore Cuba resulted in our gaining a deeper understanding
that it is developing under a production-sharing of the subsurface geology in Block 9, as well as
contract (PSC). valuable experience in drilling these types of for-
In a statement, the company reported that mations in Cuba,” he commented. “We encoun-
it had approved the two-well appraisal pro- tered significant gross intervals of moveable
gramme in order to assess the qualities and hydrocarbons in each of the three reservoirs we
reservoir characteristics of the moveable encountered, but they were often under higher
hydrocarbons found in the three independent pressure than we were expecting. Whilst gen-
formations encountered during the drilling erally a good thing, as it can be a predictor of
of Alameda-1. These formations have already good reservoir performance, the exploration
been determined to hold 6.4bn barrels of oil well we designed had its contingencies thor-
in place (OIP), including 362mn barrels of oil oughly tested and as a result, we were unable to
in prospective resources (gross unrisked mean collect clean samples of the oil that flowed at us
estimate basis), according to an independent or conduct tests to determine the performance
assessment, it said. characteristics of these reservoirs.”
Andrew Purcell, the executive chairman He continued: “The wells we have designed
of Melbana, noted that “strong oil shows” had for the appraisal programme beginning in the
previously been encountered at all three forma- new year can handle the drilling conditions we
tions. As such, the formations will be subjected now know we will encounter, plus our drilling
to extensive production testing during the team and their contractors have gained a lot of
appraisal process “if warranted,” he said. experience from the two wells they have drilled
If extended production testing proves nec- together in Cuba.”
essary, he added, the oil extracted during the Block 9 covers an area of 2,344 square km
appraisal programme “will be held in tanks on along the northern coast of Cuba and is about
site, then trucked as necessary to the nearest oil 140 km east of the island.
battery some 50 km away (as is currently the It lies within a proven hydrocarbon system
practice for other producing fields nearby).” and is on trend with Varadero, a field that con-
The company further stated that work on the tains billions of barrels of oil. McDaniel & Asso-
appraisal programme would begin in the first ciates, as independent experts and consultants,
quarter of 2023 and added that it had already published a competent persons report (CPR) in
secured all of the funding needed to cover its mid-2018 concluding that the block contained
share of costs. It said it intended to use most about 15.7bn barrels of OIP as a best estimate
of the same principal contractors and project and prospective resources of 676mn barrels
teams that it had utilised to sink the Alameda-1 (best estimate).
well, as well as the same drilling pad, it noted. It Melbana has a 30% stake in Block 9 and is
also reported, though, that it was seeking per- serving as operator of the project. It is devel-
mits for three more pad locations so that it could oping the contract area in co-operation with
secure step-out locations for additional wells. Angola’s national oil company (NOC) Sonangol,
Purcell went on to say that Melbana was which acquired a 70% stake in the project via a
prepared to deal with high-pressure conditions farm-in deal in 2020. ™

Dashed lines illustrate Alameda-2 and -3, while solid lines are existing wells (Image: Melbana Energy)

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