Colombian Well Cheers Canacol

Canadian Canacol Energy has reported encouraging drilling results at its operated sites in the Lower Magdalena Valley basin in Colombia.

Canacol said on July 15 that the Acordeon 1 exploration well at its 100%-owned VIM 5 block recently identified a “significant gas accumulation in the Cienaga de Oro (CDO) sandstone reservoir”, test flowing at a rate of 934,000 m³/day. A second 2,667-metre well at the site, Ocarina 1, explored the accumulation to the southeast of Acordeon 1. It encountered a gross gas pay of 161 metres and tested at a rate of 850,000 m³/day, the company said, adding that the results confirm “a significant new accumulation of gas within the CDO.”

Ocarina 1 is slated to enter production by the end of July, after being hooked up to the Jobo gas processing plant.

Canacol is now mobilising the Pioneer 53 drilling rig used at Ocarina 1 to drill the Pandereta 5 appraisal well at VIM 5, designed to test the western extension of the Pandereta field.

“The appraisal well will test the same CDO reservoir currently producing from all the wells in the Pandereta field,” the company said in its statement. “A successful result at Pandereta 5 could result in a material increase of the Pandereta field conventional natural gas total proved plus probable reserves.”

Canacol plans to spud Pandereta 5 before the end of this month. The Pandereta deposit is estimated by the company to hold 2.83bn m³ in proven and probable gas reserves.

Elsewhere, the Nelson 7 production well at Canacol’s wholly-owned Esperanza block has been drilled to a depth of 2,834 metres, encountering a 32-metre interval that flowed at a final rate of 821,000 m³/day, the operator said.