Noble Energy makes deepwater discoveries

Noble Energy has made two deepwater discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Israel.

The Dantzler exploration well, located 12 miles west of the firm’s Rio Grande development in Mississippi Canyon 782, has encountered over 120 ft of net pay, mainly crude oil, in two Miocene reservoirs. The well was drilled to a total depth of 19,234 ft in 6,580 ft of water. Discoveries at the Dantzler well are estimated between 55 and 95 MMboe.

The Tamar SW well, located in the Levant Basin in the Eastern Mediterranean, encountered about 355 net feet of natural gas pay, was drilled to a total depth of 17,420ft in 5,405 ft of water. The well is Nobal Energy’s eighth consecutive discovery within the Levant Basin, and has a total estimated range of 640Bcf-770Bcf of natural gas.

"These new discoveries, combined with our exploration and appraisal successes earlier this year, continue our successful exploration track record and identified new sources of future growth for Noble Energy,” Mike Putnam, Noble Energy's vice president of exploration and geoscience said in a release. “Dantzler represents our third consecutive exploration discovery in the Miocene trend of the Gulf of Mexico and complements our existing developments at Rio Grande and Gunflint. The field's proximity to our Rio Grande area provides the opportunity for an accelerated development at Dantzler."

"In Israel, the discovery at Tamar SW further enhances our discovered resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, which now totals nearly 40Tcf of natural gas," Putnam said. "The discovery also underpins our ability to meet the growing market demand in Israel and within the region."

Noble Energy holds 45% stake in the Dantzler well. Partners include Riverstone Holdings LLC and its portfolio company, ILX Holdings II, LLC with 35% stake and W&T Energy VI, LLC  with 20%. In the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the firm plans to drill at least two additional Miocene trend prospects in 2014.

Noble Energy operates Tamar SW with a 36% working interest. Once drilling operations are completed, the drilling rig will be released to another operator. Other invested partners include Isramco Negev 2 with 28.75%, Delek Drilling with 15.625%, Avner Oil Exploration with 15.625% and Dor Gas Exploration with 4%.