MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile’s ENAP successfully drills natural gas well in Tierra del Fuego

Initial production was estimated in 190.000 cubic metres per day

Chile’ oil and gas company ENAP announced Monday the discovery of natural gas at a recently drilled well in the Arenal block to the north-west of Espora Peninsula, Tierra del Fuego.

Initial production tests performed at the Teno 1 exploratory well in the Springhill formation and at an approximate depth of 2,410 meters confirmed flows of 190,000 cubic meters a day of natural gas (6.7 million cubic feet a day) and 21 cubic meters of condensate (132 barrels per day).

‘Teno 1’ is distant from the exiting gas pipeline network which takes the gas to production centres, so provision of natural gas will be delayed until the construction of the necessary infrastructure to link with the main system.

The exploration program of the Arenal Block began with the acquisition of 940 km2 of 3D seismic data in 2008 and, on the basis of this information plus previous data, a large number of exploratory opportunities and developments were defined.

Seven wells have so far been drilled in the Arenal sector, with the following results: five of them with positive production (Chañarcillo 37, 38, Manantiales Oeste 1, Teno 1, Punta Baja Sur 1), one with gas manifestations but not yet on a commercial scale (Tyndall 1) and the last (Cachapoal 1), a dry well.

Enap also is also involved in exploration activities in the Dorado-Riquelme Blocks on Chilean mainland and Intracampos, in Tierra del Fuego.

ENAP has a long term exploration plan with the objective of increasing natural gas reserves in Magallanes, extreme south of Chile, both for residential consumption as well as to provide the huge Methanex plant for the production of methanol.