Galilee Energy has expanded the scope of its planned Zydeco-1 sidetrack in Louisiana, transforming the operation into a multi-target evaluation program designed to test seven separate oil and gas intervals from a single wellbore.
The update follows technical analysis of logging-while-drilling (LWD) and geological data from the original wellbore, which successfully quantified five new shallow oil targets sitting above the deeper primary objectives.
Located within Acadia Parish, the shallow intervals, comprising the Borsum, Richie, Discorbis gravelli, First Het, and Homeseeker B sands, hold a combined gross 2U prospective resource of 317,000 barrels of oil (422,600 barrels on a 3U basis).
The enlarged target scope substantially boosts the project’s commercial pathways. Beyond the shallow oil zones, the sidetrack will evaluate gas-condensate potential in the underlying Stafford Formation, before continuing to the high-impact Upper Tweedel gas target at a depth of approximately 9,579 feet total vertical depth.
Galilee Energy Managing Director Joseph Graham said: “The original Zydeco well has given us substantially more information than we had before drilling.
“The sidetrack is now designed to capture that value by testing a broader, stacked target inventory from the shallow oil zones through Stafford and into the Upper Tweedel.
“We now have five prospective oil intervals above Stafford and Tweedel, all within the same compact lease position and close to existing Gulf Coast infrastructure.”
The original Zydeco-1 wellbore was halted due to an open-hole mechanical issue. However, retaining the existing pad, surface casing, and permits allows Galilee to execute the sidetrack as a highly cost-effective re-entry.
Galilee is currently finalising directional drilling designs, independent engineering reviews, and data-acquisition plans, including formation pressure testing and fluid sampling, prior to initiating sidetrack operations.