Canada-based Touchstone Exploration has announced results from the first tests on a liquids-rich gas deposit in Trinidad and Tobago. Tests on the Cascadura-1ST1 well gave an average flow of 5,180 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).
During the 14-hour extended flow test period, production peaked at 5,736 boe/d. This includes 30.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 710 barrels of natural gas liquids per day.
The company examined the deepest 162ft of the 777ft deposit, part of the Ortoire exploration block on the island of Trinidad. It has an 80% working interest in the block, while Heritage Petroleum has 20%.
Initial testing was suspended because of high pressures and natural gas volumes. Current tests show no hydrogen sulphide in the deposit, with little water.
The test well will be shut-in for two weeks for a pressure build-up survey. During this time, the company will test the upper area of the deposit. Touchstone’s president and CEO Paul Baay said in a statement: “[These] test results are only attributable to the lowermost portion of the well, and with 450ft of contiguous sand to be tested, the full potential of the structure is yet to be defined.”
“To put these results in context, our average daily oil production for the three months ended September 30 2019, was 1,729 bbls/d.” The company previously drilled the Coho-1 test well in the same block.
Baay added: “[…] Given these results, the company will focus on multiple tie-in scenarios in order to maximize economic value. “The Ortoire exploration block continues to consistently and dramatically outperform expectations and presents an exciting new opportunity for both Touchstone and the onshore oil and gas industry in Trinidad.”
COO James Shipka said: “These discoveries provide further confidence as we move forward with two further exploration wells at our Chinook and Royston prospects which are targeting separate structures along the same geological trend.”