Galilee Energy (ASX:GLL) has announced plans to sidetrack its Zydeco-1 well in Louisiana, US, after drilling identified the Stafford interval as a new gas target and elevated Homeseeker B to a formal evaluation target.
Drilling reached 9,393 feet before pipe became stuck in the open-hole section, prompting Galilee to pursue a sidetrack rather than continue recovery efforts.
Before the interruption, the well penetrated the full Homeseeker section and encountered Homeseeker B at the forecast depth with elevated hydrocarbon indications.
The company says the interval correlates with the B-1 offset well, about 300 feet from Zydeco-1, while the bottom-hole location is structurally updip of B-1’s historical oil test.
Gas readings across the Stafford interval exceeded the rig detector’s upper limit of 5,000 units. A regional analogue, the R.L. Bucklin #1 well in neighbouring Jefferson Davis Parish, historically tested at 1.2 million cubic feet of gas and 48 barrels of condensate per day from Stafford Sand.
However, Galilee notes the gas readings are exploration indicators only, while the regional analogue may not be directly comparable with Zydeco-1.
“Most significantly, the stratigraphic sequence encountered closely matches our geological model, which increases our confidence in the position of the deeper Tweedel target — the principal objective of this well,” Managing Director Joseph Graham says.
The sidetrack is planned to begin at 2,760 feet and reach about 9,800 feet measured depth, compared with the original planned depth of about 10,400 feet. It will re-drill Homeseeker B and Stafford before continuing to the Upper and Lower Tweedel targets.
The company notes the shallower casing point is intended to reduce exposure to the lost-circulation interval encountered in the original hole. The existing surface casing, wellhead, drilling location, and permits will be reused.
The Tweedel targets contain gross unrisked prospective resources of up to 13.7 billion cubic feet of gas and 610,000 barrels of condensate. Galilee notes the estimates exclude Homeseeker B and Stafford, which have no assigned resources.
The sidetrack remains subject to approved costs, final technical planning, and contractor availability.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Galilee Energy
