RENEWED EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES IN JAMAICA

Hydrocarbon exploration activities have accelerated recently with the completion of four wells in the Jamaica region by the state-owned Petroleum Corp. of Jamaica (PC]). Three of tile wells were drilled onshore, while the fourth was located offshore on the Pedro Bank, southwest of the mainland (Figure 1).

The offshore well - ARA WAK #1 - was located about 22 miles northeast of Pedro Bank #1 well and 132 miles west-southwest of Kingston. Spudded December 16, 1981 it was plugged and abandoned April 2Th 1982 at 15,053 feet total depth. Using the jackup rig J STORM IV, Union Texas of Houston were operators for the consortium Union Texas, A GIP, and Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ). This well tested a medium size structure with maximum sedimentary section according to seismic data. No significant shows were encountered.

Drilling operations onshore were conducted by Parker Drilling Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma; engineering supervision by PetroCanada; and geological Supervision by PCJ. The first well -HER TFORD #1 - was located in western Jamaica at Hertford, 4 1/2 miles northeast of Savanna-la-mar in Westmoreland. Spudded November 6, 1981, it was drilled to 9,956 feet TD and was plugged and abandoned as dry on February 9, 1982. It tested a medium size anticline outlined by seismic data. A dense limestone section at approximately 6000 feet had traces of oil in samples but tested minor salt water.

The second well tested a medium size anticline on the north coast near St. Ann's Bay close to a gas seep which has existed for decades. Spudded February 23, 1982 it was abandoned on July 19 at total depth of 12, 820 feet. This is the deepest well ever drilled onshore Jamaica. The faulted structure was outlined by surface geology and checked by a seismic survey. Exhaustive testing of the fracture zone at about 3250 feet recovered only fresh or salt water with minor uncombustible methane. This well was the WINDSOR #1.

The third well in this first phase of exploratory drilling was again located in Westmoreland about 14 miles south of Montego Bay. The RETRIEVE #1 spudded July 28, 1982 and was abandoned total depth of 11,310 feet on October 21, 1982. The well tested a large surface anticline where Uppermost Campanian Cretaceous is exposed at the surface. A core of dense limestone at 7484' had minor oil bleeding from small fractures but subsequent tests were disappointing.

A fourth proposed well in eastern Jamaica was postponed for consideration at a later stage. Work is now underway collecting new geological data on-shore, which, combined with previous information in hand, will determine whether a second phase of drilling will be conducted.

Between early 1982 and March of this year, two offshore seismic geophysical surveys were conducted offshore. The first over the South Coast Shelf was acquired by Geophysical Service Inc. of Dallas, Texas and comprised 4,165 km of data. It formed part of a larger programme by that company in the Caribbean region.

The second survey covered primarily the offshore areas to the east and south of Jamaica (between the South Coast Shelf and Pedro Bank) and had a programme of just under 3000 km. Acquisition was by Sefel Geophysical Ltd. of Calgary under contract to PetroCanada International Assistance Corporation who are now conducting the processing and interpretation of these data.

This information from these surveys will be included in an assessment of the offshore petroleum of Jamaica.

Other supporting programmes are being planned and may commence before the end of the present year.