Byron’s Gulf of Mexico well deemed commercial failure

Oil and gas company Byron Energy has begun plug and abandonment operations on its SM74 D14 Bypass No.1 (D14 BP1) well after deeming it uncommercial.

Byron said on Friday that it was drilled to a depth of 14,933 feet measured depth (MD) through both the 13,000 Sand and the 13,500 Sand which was the primary objective.

The well was drilled from the SM73 D platform using the White Fleet Drilling 350 jack-up rig. SM74 D14 was spud on May 15 and was supposed to target a mapped gross prospective resource potential of 5.2 mmbo and 13.2 bcf of gas.

During the drilling operations, the company used real-time gamma and resistivity logging tools and deemed uncommercial with results suggesting a failed trap. The well is currently being plugged and abandoned.

The D14 BP1 and D14 original hole (D14 OH) wells logged several minor resistive sands with indicative hydrocarbon within the lower 13,000 Sand zone of interest. These sands have also been deemed uncommercial.

The company added that it faced significant challenges during the drilling of the SM74 deep prospect resulting in a stuck drill pipe in the D14 OH which required the drilling of the D14 BP1 bypass wellbore.

Byron farmed-out a 30 percent working interest share of the SM74 prospect to Metgasco. Under the farm-out deal, it will earn its interest by paying 40 percent of the initial well dry hole costs. It is worth noting that the plugging and abandonment operations will be ongoing into next week.

Also, the Enterprise 263 rig was contracted for the drilling of Byron’s next exploration program well, the SM58 #11, expected to be spud in mid-August.

Maynard Smith, Byron’s CEO, said: “While the result was disappointing, the data will provide valuable seismic calibration within the deeper high-pressured stratigraphic section of the area.

“The Byron team will now focus on the upcoming exploration and development drilling program in the prolific shallow section of the greater SM73/71 Field Area beginning with the Byron SM58 #11 well.”

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