From the Field

BHP spuds new deepwater well in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, October 18, 2018 – Australian major BHP Billiton has begun drilling the Concepcion-1 exploration well in the deep waters offshore Trinidad and Tobago, international media reported Wednesday.

The well, to be drilled by Transocean’s Deepwater Invictus drillship, will target the Magellan play in block TTDAA 5, where the Victoria-1 well encountered hydrocarbons earlier this year. The company also discovered hydrocarbons in TTDAA 14 earlier in the year through the Bongos-2 well. Those wells were subsequently plugged and abandoned.

The exploration campaign follows the August 2016 discovery of the massive LeClerc field in TTDAA 5, estimated to contain 113 bcm-142 bcm (4 tcf-5 tcf) of gas. BHP Billiton controls a 65% stake in the block in partnership with Shell, which holds the remaining 35% share.