Touchstone Exploration says Trinidad well results exceed expectations

Touchstone Exploration Inc said drill results from the Royston-1 exploration well on the Ortoire block onshore Trinidad significantly exceeded expectations.

The team discovered 393 gross feet of hydrocarbon pay in the Herrera formation – almost double pre-drill estimates.

Mud and wireline logs pointed to accumulations in the Lower Cruse and Karamat sections too.

The well is currently being cased and prepared for production testing of the Herrera.

Chief operating officer James Shipka said he believed the discovery was natural gas rather than oil, but added: “We will wait for testing results to confirm [this].”

Royston-1 is the fifth and final well in the first phase of the exploration programme on the Ortoire block, in which Touchstone has an 80% interest.

Chief executive Paul Baay told investors: “The amount of identified hydrocarbon pay further verifies the opportunity in the block for our future phase two exploration program.

“Prior to drilling, we targeted 200 feet of gross sand pay, with results almost doubling our expectations.

“The team has commenced planning production testing operations in the Herrera Formation using the same equipment that verified the Cascadura discovery.”

The well was drilled down to 10,700 feet and uncovered a turbidite (a geological anomaly often synonymous with oil) in the Herrera that was just over 1,000 feet thick.

Contained was 609 feet of clean sand and 393 feet of hydrocarbon in two thrust sheets (bodies of rock that have moved) starting from 9,700 feet. 

“With the assistance of the new seismic and upcoming production testing data, we anticipate this to be the largest geological structure identified on the block in the Herrera formation,” said CEO Baay.

Around 30 feet of hydrocarbon pay was also detected in the shallow Lower Cruse formation, and 30 feet in the Karamat Gr7a sands.

Story by ProactiveInvestors