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Keskesi East-1 is the fourth exploration well drilled at Block 58 (Image: Total)

Total, APA halt work at Keskesi East-1

TOTAL (France) and APA (US) have halted crude oil and gas condensate in the well’s Upper
drilling work on Keskesi East-1, the fourth Cretaceous-aged Campanian and Santonian
exploration well drilled at Block 58 offshore intervals. At that time, they also stated that they
Suriname. intended to drill to greater depths in order to
APA, formerly known as Apache, announced evaluate targets in the Neocomian intervals.
the suspension of drilling in a statement dated Since then, Total and APA have encoun-
March 9. It explained the decision by saying that tered additional quantities of “hydrocarbons in
reservoir pressures had risen as work on the Kes- the Lower Cretaceous interval and a carbonate
kesi East-1 well proceeded. depositional system above the top Neocomian
“As drilling progressed, the well encoun- target,” the statement said. These results are
tered substantial pressure increases that APA “encouraging,” as they serve to validate the part-
and Total determined could ultimately exceed ners’ existing geological models, but they do not
the capabilities of the wellbore design and pres- offer any specific insights into the Neocomian
sure control equipment,” the US-based company intervals, it commented.
said. “Consequently, the partners decided to
conclude drilling operations at Keskesi before Next steps
reaching the Neocomian targets.” According to previous reports, the companies’
Now that work on the well is complete, the next target is the Bonboni section of Block 58.
partners are slated to release the Noble Sam The statement did not say when APA and Total
Croft drillship from the site, as previously were expected to spud their next exploration
planned. They will also use the data gathered well.
from the well to “design a wellbore and drilling In related news, Ricardo Darré, the direc-
programme that will ensure a safe test of the tor of Total’s operations in Suriname, said last
deep Neocomian targets in future exploration week that another drillship was due to arrive at
and/or appraisal operations,” APA said. the block within the next few weeks. This ves-
This is not the first time that high pressures sel is due to spud Maka Central-2, the second
have been noted at Block 58. APA reported sim- appraisal well at the Maka section, in the second
ilar problems when it sought to drill down to the half of March, he was quoted as saying by De
Turonian intervals at Maka Central-1, the first Ware Tijd newspaper.
well sunk at Block 58. Darré also stated that Total and APA
In the statement, the company pointed out expected to begin commercial production at
that the partners had already made a discovery Block 58 in 2025. This will represent a rapid
at Keskesi East-1. They announced the find in ramp-up in development, given that the first
mid-January, saying that they had encountered discovery was made in 2020, he noted. ™

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