Australian oil and gas company Melbana Energy has started drilling the Amistad-2 production well in Cuba’s Block 9 production sharing contract, with drilling currently at a depth of 37 metres.
The onshore Block 9 PSC, located 140 kilometres east of Havana and spanning 2,344 square kilometres, aims for a total depth of 1,125 metres measured depth (MD) targeting the Unit 1B formation.
Melbana said the well is positioned about 850 metres south-west and 200 metres up-dip of the Alameda-2 well, near the crest of a localised anticline with extensive reservoir fracturing.
Drilling plans call for a 650-metre section of Unit 1B to be drilled at a shallow angle to increase the likelihood of intersecting a network of natural fractures.
The company said this well has been designed using operational insights from previous projects to optimise potential production.
Melbana Energy acquired the Block 9 PSC in 2015 and later transferred a 70 per cent interest to Sonangol, Angola’s national oil company, in return for funding two exploration wells.
In April this year, the company announced the completion of Pad 9 construction and associated access roads for Amistad-2, with all permits secured.
Additional measures, including the use of a slotted liner and downhole pump, have been prepared to manage any wellbore instability.
Melbana is also progressing plans for a third well in the block.
In May, the company confirmed that construction for the Amistad-3 well pad had begun, with drilling permits close to approval.
Amistad-3 is expected to be drilled to 1,625 metres MD and will have a trajectory tailored to maximise contact with the target Unit 1B formation.
Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Melbana Energy holds a portfolio of exploration, appraisal and development projects in Cuba and Australia.
The company previously divested its 55 per cent stake in offshore permits AC/P50 and AC/P51 in 2018, deeming them non-core to its portfolio.
