the partnership of Anadarko (operator) and Ecopetrol have made a gas discovery in the ultra-deepwaters of the south Caribbean area off Colombia, which they stated proves their geological model in this unexplored area. Located 53 km offshore in the Fuerte Sur block, the Kronos-1 discovery lies in 1,584m of water. Drilling encountered net gas pay of between 40 and 70m at a depth of 3,720m and will continue to a deeper and as yet unspecified target to determine additional reserves.
According to Ecopetrol president Juan Carlos Echeverry, this result and the earlier (December 2014) Orca-1 well located in the deep waters offshore Guajira, “are very important and confirm the potential of the Colombian Caribbean petroleum system in a vast area.” He added that one of the key areas in the company’s new strategy, despite the low oil price environment, is the exploration of high potential marine basins. On completion of operations the drillship Bolette Dolphin will be retained to drill the Calasu 1 well some 145 km north-east in the Fuerte Norte Block. The Calasu prospect is a large four-way structure on the north end of the block complex with multiple potential targets. Success at either well would de-risk multiple The Bolette Dolphin drilling in Colombia waters. identified prospects over both tracts. Ecopetrol plans to invest around US$ 200 million in 2015 in offshore exploration.
The Caribbean region holds an estimated 126 Bbol and 679 Tcf of undiscovered natural gas in 31 geologic provinces, according to a 2012 report by the US Geological Survey. With very few exceptions, most Caribbean countries have yet to prove the extent of their offshore hydrocarbon reserves, let alone produce them.
