13 November 2013 – Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell has come up dry with the GM-ES-5 well on the Guyane Maritime permit off French Guiana.
Joint venture partner Wessex Exploration said the well had reached a total depth of 6460 metres and, while it intersected the reservoir sequences expected, no evidence of hydrocarbons were found.
As a result, GM-ES-5, which was the final well in a four-well exploration programme over the Guyane permit, will now be plugged and abandoned.
It ends an unsuccessful campaign over the offshore permit with the three previous wells in the current programme also coming up dry.
This was despite initial promising signs on the permit when in 2011 then operator Tullow Oil hit 72 metres of net pay in the Zaedyus-1 well.
The offshore area surrounding the Zaedyus discovery was estimated to hold 600 million barrels of oil. However, Shell has so far failed to find new reserves since taking over as operator.
Wessex said on Wednesday that the joint venture would now integrate data from all five wells on the Guyane Maritime permit with existing 3D seismic to determine future exploration plans for the 24,100 square kilometre licence.
Shell operates the permit with a 45% stake alongside Tullow on 27.5%, Total with 25% and Northpet Investments, a joint venture between Wessex and Northern Petroleum, on 2.5%.
*Josh Lewis, Upstreamonline