离岸人员

挪威奥斯陆——根据Rystad Energy 的说法，今年各大石油公司的前沿钻探计划可能会带来具有前景的深水发现，特别是在大西洋边缘、东地中海和亚洲。

去年，主要参与者获得了112,000平方公里的新近海面积，比上年增长20%，其中39%位于陆架部分，28%位于深水区，33%位于超深水区。

Rystad 预测，与 2023 年相比，今年将钻探约 50 口深水和超深水探井。

高级分析师桑托什·库马尔·布丹卡亚拉 (Santosh Kumar Budankayala) 表示：“随着各大公司勒紧财务腰带，他们正在谨慎地冒险进入更深的水域，并重新评估他们的前沿勘探方法。虽然我们预计他们会评估并成熟他们的前沿领域，但我们也预计他们将继续专注于熟悉的领域——拥有成熟的专业知识和现有基础设施的地区，可以以更低的风险提供更快的货币化。”

去年常规发现的新资源量为 1 Bboe，比 2022 年的 3 Bboe 下降了 68%，而前沿盆地仅占已探明资源量的 20%。

然而，由于有可能发现大型、地理集中的勘探前景，前沿盆地和未勘探盆地仍然具有吸引力。

过去五年的亮点包括土耳其石油公司在黑海地区土耳其海域发现的巨型萨卡里亚气田、TotalEnergies 在南非近海的 Brulpadda和Luiperd 气田以及纳米比亚近海的 Venus 和 Graff 气田。

去年授予的大部分边境面积都位于乌拉圭近海，壳牌在该地区一马当先，获得了 42,000 平方公里的面积，这也占壳牌总授予面积的 50% 以上。

目前，壳牌正在沙巴近海 SB 2W 区块的超深凝析气勘探区 Pekaka 进行钻探，据说可能类似于 2022 年深水 M 区块的 Tepat 发现。

此后，该公司将在 SB X 区块的 Bijak 勘探区进行更多超深水勘探（这两个许可证都是在马来西亚 2021 年招标中授予的）。

Rystad 预计将在砂拉越大陆架地区进行进一步的勘探钻探。与此同时，壳牌继续在纳米比亚近海的奥兰治盆地进行评估活动，以进一步确定其最近发现的范围，包括格拉夫。

英国石油公司正在寻求在埃及近海钻探多口井，包括评估Raven天然气和凝析油田以及在西地中海King Mariout近海特许权进行勘探钻探。

Pau-Brazil 将是该公司在巴西近海桑托斯盆地运营的第一口井。

雪佛龙和壳牌计划在苏里南近海第 42 区块进行钻探，其中包括沃克碳酸盐岩矿区。

Argerich-1位于阿根廷近海，将成为该国第一口超深水井，壳牌拥有其中 30% 的非经营权益。这里的成功可能会引发该地区进一步的深水勘探。

Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway — The majors’ frontier drilling plans this year could deliver play-opening deepwater discoveries, according to Rystad Energy, notably in the Atlantic Margin, Eastern Mediterranean and Asia.

Last year the major players secured 112,000 sq km of new offshore acreage awards, 20% up on the previous year, with 39% in the shelf segment, 28% in deep water and 33% in ultradeep water.

This year Rystad predicts that about 50 more deepwater and ultradeepwater exploratory wells could be drilled compared to 2023.

Senior analyst Santosh Kumar Budankayala said, "As majors tighten their financial belts, they're cautiously venturing into deeper waters and reevaluating their approaches for frontier exploration. While we anticipate them to appraise and mature their frontier acreages, we also expect them to continue to focus on familiar territory—regions with established expertise and existing infrastructure that offer quicker monetization with lower risks.”

Last year’s conventional discoveries delivered 1 Bboe of new resources, 68% down on the 3 Bboe achieved in 2022, with frontier basins accounting for only 20% of volumes proven.

However, frontier and underexplored basins remain attractive due to the potential for finding large, geographically concentrated prospects.

Highlights over the past five years include Turkish Petroleum’s giant Sakarya gas field discovery in the Turkish sector of the Black Sea sector, TotalEnergies’ Brulpadda and Luiperd offshore South Africa, and Venus and Graff offshore Namibia.

Much of the frontier acreage awarded last year was offshore Uruguay, where Shell led the way by securing 42,000 sq km, which also represented more than 50% of Shell's overall awarded acreage.

Currently, Shell is drilling the ultradeep gas-condensate prospect Pekaka on Block SB 2W offshore Sabah, said to be potentially analogous to the 2022 Tepat discovery in deepwater Block M.

After that, the company has more ultradeepwater exploration to come on the Bijak prospect on Block SB X (both permits were awarded under Malaysia’s 2021 bid round).

Rystad anticipates further exploration drilling in the shelf region of Sarawak. In the meantime, Shell continues appraisal activity in the Orange Basin offshore Namibian waters to further delineate the extent of its recent discoveries, including Graff.

bp is looking to drill multiple wells offshore Egypt, including appraisal of the Raven gas and condensate field and exploration drilling in the King Mariout offshore concession in the Western Mediterranean.

And Pau-Brazil will be the company’s first operated well in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil.

Chevron and Shell have plans to drill in Block 42 offshore Suriname, containing the Walker carbonate prospect.

Offshore Argentina, Argerich-1 will be the country’s first ultradeepwater well, in which Shell has a 30% non-operated interest. Success here could trigger further deepwater exploration in the region.