Touchstone Strikes Trinidad Gas

Calgary-based Touchstone Exploration has identified four zones containing gas accumulations at its first exploration well at the onshore Ortoire block in Trinidad and Tobago.

Coho-1 was sunk to a depth of 8,560 ft within 28 days, and is currently being cased for further evaluation, Touchstone said in a statement on September 9. Well logs indicated four gas-bearing packages with a net pay of 105 ft in the Herrera sands of the Mid-Miocene-aged Cipero formation, it said. These were found at depths between 5,486 and 7,240 ft.

Logging also identified oil sands at a depth of 7,788 ft, which though seemingly non-commercial might help to de-risk future exploration activities.

“Although Coho-1 targeted the smallest prospect in our Ortoire exploration inventory, the initial drilling results represent significant potential growth for the company,” Touchstone CEO Paul Baay commented. “The presence of hydrocarbons in the turbidite sands of the Herrera confirms that our geological model is correct, and our drilling operations confirm that our team can drill future wells in a safe, timely and cost-efficient manner.”

The Rig 80 of Well Services Petroleum used to drill Coho-1 will now sink a second 8,190-ft well, Cascadura-1, which is targeting two oil zones in the Herrera sands. Two more wells are also scheduled in Touchstone’s drilling campaign at Ortoire.

Touchstone has an 80% stake in the block, alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s state-owned Heritage Petroleum.