埃尼公司于2023年3月17日(星期五)宣布了在7号区块Yatzil勘探前景区的新发现。该油田位于墨西哥近海Sureste盆地的Cuenca Salina中深水区。这家石油巨头强调，新发现的油田可能含有约2亿桶石油。
这口探井是用Valaris拥有的Valaris DPS-5半潜式钻机钻探的，埃尼集团于2022年根据三口井合同租用了该钻机在墨西哥进行作业。该钻机于2023年2月开始钻探该远景区。Yatzil-1井是7号区块的第二口承诺井，也是埃尼集团在Sureste盆地钻探的第八口。该井距离海岸约65公里，距离其他发现25～30公里。
此外，Yatzil-1井在水深284米处钻探，总深度为2441米。根据埃尼公司的声明，该井在中新世上层序中遇到了超过40米含优质油的净产油层，广泛的地下数据收集证实了其优异的岩石物理性质。
这是继10号区块的Saasken和Sayulita发现之后。这家石油巨头认为，这一发现证实了其墨西哥资产组合的价值，有助于附近几个潜在的协同集群开发。
7号区块合资企业由埃尼集团(作为运营商持有45%股份)、Capricorn(30%)和Citla Energy(25%)组成。此前，埃尼集团在7号区块钻了一口探井，名为Ehecatl-1，位于近海岸65公里处，水深426米，总深度为4451米。该公司没有发现碳氢化合物，该井于2020年5月被永久封堵并废弃。
这家意大利公司声称，墨西哥是其有机增长战略的核心国家，目前1区阶段开发项目的日产量将超过3万桶油当量，预计将于2025年完成。
此外，埃尼自2006年以来一直在墨西哥开展业务，并于2015年成立了全资子公司埃尼墨西哥公司。目前，这家石油巨头拥有8个勘探和生产区块的股权，其中6个是运营商，这些区块都位于墨西哥湾的Sureste盆地。
关于埃尼集团最近的活动，值得注意的是，这家意大利巨头在2022年的年利润增长了一倍多，这主要是受石油和天然气价格上涨以及能源需求上升的推动，尤其是在欧洲，在地缘政治冲突导致的天然气危机中，这家石油巨头为加强能源安全作出了贡献。
此外，该公司还公布了一项战略计划，将能源地域组合的多样化作为其核心。
原文如下：
Eni hits oil offshore Mexico
Italian energy giant Eni has made a new oil discovery in an exploration well located in Block 7 in the Sureste Basin offshore Mexico, using a Valaris-owned semi-submersible rig.
Eni announced a new discovery on the Yatzil exploration prospect in Block 7 on Friday, 17 March 2023. This prospect is located in the mid-deep water of the Cuenca Salina in the Sureste Basin, offshore Mexico. According to preliminary estimates, the oil major highlights that the new finding may contain around 200 million barrels of oil (MBoe) in place.
The exploration well was drilled with the Valaris-owned Valaris DPS-5 semi-submersible rig, which Eni hired on a three-well contract in 2022 for operations in Mexico. The rig started drilling this prospect in February 2023. The Yatzil-1 well is the second commitment well of Block 7 and the eighth one drilled by Eni in the Sureste Basin, located approximately 65 kilometres off the coast, and 25-30 km away from other discoveries.
Furthermore, the Yatzil-1 well was drilled at a water depth of 284 metres and reached a total depth of 2,441 metres. Based on Eni’s statement, the well encountered in excess of 40 meters of net pay sands with good quality oil in the Upper Miocene sequences with excellent petrophysical properties confirmed by extensive subsurface data collection.
This follows the Saasken and Sayulita discoveries in Block 10. The oil major believes that this discovery confirms the value of its Mexican asset portfolio, contributing to the potential synergic cluster development of several prospects located nearby.
The Block 7 Joint Venture consists of Eni (operator with a 45 per cent stake), Capricorn (30 per cent) and Citla Energy (25 per cent). Previously, Eni drilled an exploration well on Block 7, named Ehecatl-1 located 65 kilometres offshore in a water depth of 426 metres, which reached a total depth of 4,451 metres. The firm did not find hydrocarbons and the well was permanently plugged and abandoned in May 2020.
The Italian player claims that Mexico is a core country in its organic growth, and is currently producing more than 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) from the Area 1 phased development project, which is expected to be completed by 2025.
Moreover, Eni has been present in Mexico since 2006 and established its wholly-owned subsidiary Eni Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V. in 2015. Currently, the oil major holds rights in eight exploration and production blocks – six as the operator – all located in the Sureste Basin in the Gulf of Mexico.
Regarding Eni’s recent activities, it is worth noting that the Italian giant more than doubled its annual profit in 2022, driven by elevated oil and gas prices and higher energy demand, especially in Europe, where the oil major contributed to strengthening energy security amid the gas crunch due to the war.
In addition, the company unveiled a strategic plan forward, putting the diversification of energy sources’ geographic mix at its core.
Atlantic rates fell to $55,250/day on Friday, while Pacific rates also declined to $77,750/day.
