Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) announced today discoveries at the Dantzler exploration well in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico and at the Tamar Southwest (SW) exploration well offshore Israel.
At Dantzler, wireline logging data indicates that the well encountered over 120 net feet of primarily crude oil pay in two high-quality Miocene reservoirs. The discovery well, located in Mississippi Canyon 782, was drilled to a total depth of 19,234 feet in 6,580 feet of water. Dantzler is located 12 miles west of the Company's Rio Grande development area, which includes discoveries at Big Bend and Troubadour. Discovered gross resources(1) at Dantzler are now estimated at between 55 and 95 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The Tamar SW well, testing a new exploration prospect, encountered approximately 355 feet of net natural gas pay within the targeted Miocene intervals. Tamar SW, which was drilled to a total depth of 17,420 feet in 5,405 feet of water, is the Company's eighth consecutive discovery in the Levant Basin. The field is located approximately 8 miles southwest of the Tamar field. Evaluation of drilling data and wireline logs has confirmed the range(1) of gross resources of the field to be between 640 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas and 770 Bcf. The well encountered high-quality reservoir sands, with per well productivity anticipated to be approximately 250 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
Mike Putnam, Noble Energy's Vice President, Exploration and Geoscience, commented, "These new discoveries, combined with our exploration and appraisal successes earlier this year, have continued our successful organic exploration track record and identified new sources of future growth for Noble Energy. Dantzler represents our third consecutive exploration discovery in the Miocene trend of the Gulf of Mexico and complements our existing developments at Rio Grande and Gunflint. The field's proximity to our Rio Grande area provides the opportunity for an accelerated development at Dantzler. In Israel, the discovery at Tamar SW further enhances our discovered resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, which now totals nearly 40 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The discovery also underpins our ability to meet the growing market demand in Israel and within the region."
Noble Energy operates Dantzler with a 45 percent participating interest. Additional interest owners are entities managed by Ridgewood Energy Corporation (including Riverstone Holdings LLC and its portfolio company ILX Holdings II, LLC) with 35 percent and W&T Energy VI, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of W&T Offshore Inc.) with 20 percent. In the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the Company anticipates drilling at least two additional Miocene trend prospects in 2014.
Following completion of operations at Tamar SW, the drilling rig will be released to another operator. Noble Energy operates Tamar SW with a 36 percent working interest. Other interest owners are Isramco Negev 2 with 28.75 percent, Delek Drilling with 15.625 percent, Avner Oil Exploration with 15.625 percent and Dor Gas Exploration with four percent.
(1) Range of resource estimate based on 75th and 25th percentile probabilities
Noble Energy is a leading independent energy company engaged in worldwide oil and gas exploration and production. The Company has core operations onshore in the U.S., primarily in the DJ Basin and Marcellus Shale, in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, offshore Eastern Mediterranean, and offshore West Africa. Noble Energy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol NBL.
