APA Corporation has made an oil discovery offshore Suriname with its Baja-1 well in Block 53 but came away empty with a probe in Block 58. Baja-1 was drilled to a depth of 5290 m and encountered 34 m of net oil pay in a single interval within the Campanian. Preliminary fluid and log analysis indicates light oil with a gas/oil ratio (GOR) of 1,600 to 2,200 scf/bbl, in good-quality reservoir. The discovery at Baja-1 is a down-dip lobe of the same depositional system as the Krabdagu discovery, 11.5 km to the west in Block 58. Evaluation of openhole well logs, cores, and reservoir fluids is ongoing.
The success at Baja marks the sixth oil discovery in which APA has participated in offshore Suriname and the first on Block 53. The company said the result confirms its geologic model for the Campanian in the area and helps to de-risk other prospects in the southern portion of both Blocks 53 and 58.
APA recently received regulatory approval regarding an amendment to the Block 53 production-sharing contract, which provides options to extend the exploration period by up to 4 years. The company is currently proceeding with formalizing the first one-year extension, for which all work commitments are complete.
APA is operator and holds a 45% working interest in Block 53; partners Petronas and CEPSA hold 30% and 25% stakes, respectively.
Baja-1 was drilled using drillship Noble Gerry de Souza in water depths of approximately 1140 m. The rig will mobilize to Block 58 following the completion of current operations, where it will drill the Awari exploration prospect, approximately 27 km north of the Maka Central discovery.
APA was not as fortunate with its Dikkop exploration well in Block 58. The well encountered water-bearing sandstones in the targeted interval and has been plugged and abandoned. Operator TotalEnergies holds a 50% working interest, while APA holds the remaining 50% stake. The drillship Maersk Valiant will be moving to the Sapakara field to drill a second appraisal well at Sapakara South, where the joint venture conducted a successful flow test late last year.