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Trans-Orient plans multi-well programme in onshore East Coast
28 January 2008 - CANADIAN-based explorer Trans-Orient Petroleum Ltd plans a multi-well drilling campaign in its onshore East Coast Basin acreage as well possibly redrilling shallow oil and gas wells.
Dave Bennett, executive chairman of Trans-Orient in an activity update on its 100% controlled PEP 38348 north of Gisborne, has outlined its E&P programme for 2008.
Dr Bennett said Trans-Orient’s unconventional play, the Waipawa-Whangai fractured shale source rock, had been analysed and returned high porosities.
The measured primary porosities fall in the 22%-30% range, which substantially exceed those typically measured in fractured shale plays such as the Barnett and Bakken shales in North America.
“These positive results can only enhance our ability to successfully and economically produce oil and/or gas from this major unconventional resource,” he said.
Trans-Orient is proceeding with a 50 km seismic programme to be acquired in February 2008 within the main Waipawa-Whangai shale fairway, and on other conventional exploration targets.
The company has laid out a 50 km seismic programme costing US$1.4M to be managed by UK-based RPS Energy.
Dr. Bennett said this will lead to a multi-well campaign targeting potential sandstone reservoirs under 1,500 m, as well as fractured shale targets.
Trans-Orient also plans to investigate commercialisation of two shallow producing features in the northern permit area.
The Waitangi-1 well (1912) continues to actively produce high-quality oil from a sandstone reservoir at a depth of 300 m. Trans-Orient plans to survey this well’s productive capacity, acquire a seismic survey around the well, re-drill at the location, and lift oil using beam pump technology, as circumstances justify.
Further north at Te Puia Springs, for many years shallow bores collected gas with associated oil used for heating by the nearby hospital. These continue to flow natural gas very actively. Trans-Orient will conduct flow rate tests on these wells to assess future commercial potential.
“These long-lived oil and gas seeps demonstrate the production potential of the underlying Waipawa-Whangai fractured shales.
