Oz Explorer Hits Pay in Gulf of Mexico

Byron Energy has struck a “substantial hydrocarbon column” at a well on the South Marsh Island 58 (SM58) block in the US Gulf of Mexico, the Australian explorer reported on August 29.

The SM58-011 well was drilled to a depth of 10,885 feet to test the Cutthroat prospect, Byron said. The company logged the thickest O Sand hydrocarbon column in the entire SM73 field, where more than 350 wells have been drilled. Third party petrophysical calculations indicate 302 feet of gross hydrocarbon bearing O Sands with 271 feet of net true vertical thickness.

The logs confirm a thick, clean, high quality O Sand with average porosity of above 30%, holding liquids rich gas with high quality oil, typical of O Sand completions on the block, Byron said.

Byron plans to move ahead with developing SM58 in light of the discovery. The company said it could not estimate liquids content until production was started, but said it anticipated 30-100 barrels of oil to be produced for every mn ft³ of gas.

Byron has a 100% working interest in SM58 and an 83.33% stake of net revenues.