New well to be spudded soon

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 20

New well to be spudded soon

PA Wellington The drillship Sedco 445 has arrived at the location of the exploration well to be known after spudding as Kiwa-1. Mr Graeme Brown. general manager of Shell BP and Todd Oil Services, Ltd, announced yesterday.

The well is expected to be spudded in shortly. Mr Brown said that the abandonment of Tangaroa-1, which had been delayed because. of adverse weather conditions, was completed on Thursday and the Sedco 445 sailed to the new location.

It was disappointing that the hydrocarbon indications observed in Tangaroa-1 were found to be no more than “encouraging,” Mr Brown said.

However, detailed studies

of the significance of the results of the well are continuing. The Kiwa well is located some 70km south west of the Maui A platform and is 105kni from shore. It is the second well to be drilled in the current exploration drilling programme, and will be drilled by Shell BP and Todd Oil Services as operator for Petroleum Corporation of New Zealand (Exploration), Ltd, Shell (Petroleum Mining) Company. Ltd. BP

(Petroleum Mining) company of New Zealand. Ltd. and Todd Offshore Exploration, Ltd.

It was particularly pleasing to have once again the active involvement of the Maori people in the spudding of this new well, Mr Brown said.

Arrangements are in hand for a party of elders to visit the Sedco 445 within the next few 7 days to carry out a blessing or invocation ceremony at the new location.