BALLENTINE, DOROTHY E., THOMAS S. MARTINSEN, CRAIG OUSLEY, and W. RAND TURNER, Jr. , Burlington Resources, Houston, TX

In 1997, The Louisiana Land Exploration Company (now Burlington Resources) and Ocean Energy formed an area of mutual interest in the "Little Lake" area of southeast Louisiana. The area encompasses four older, well-developed fields and generally had been thought to be "picked-over," receiving little exploratory interest from the industry.

The partnership acquired Geco-Prakla's new 3-D survey in the area and in two locations, high amplitude reflectors were observed on the seismic. In both cases, the events were located on regional dip, in synclines between the fields.

Detailed geological interpretation combined with seismic, modeling and AVO analysis convinced the partnership that the events could be hydrocarbon indicators and plans were made to drill two wells.

In April 1999, the Burlington Resources' LL&E Fee #1 weir was drilled to a depth of 13,700' and encountered gas pay in the Middle Miocene Tex W TP1 sand.

In July 1999, a second well was to a depth of 13,100 feet testing a separate anomaly five miles to the northwest. This well encountered 84 feet of gas pay in a high permeability, normally pressured Tex W sand.

Both wells encountered the sands as predicted and both produced gas and/or condensate. The strength of the seismic amplitude varies across the reservoirs giving a mottled appearance and suggesting that the reservoir is discontinuous in thickness and/or permeability. Understanding the nature of this variation will be the key to optimally developing the fields.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90908©2000 GCAGS, Houston, Texas