BHP and the Broadside Well, Trinidad and Tobago

This article was published in the GSTT Q4 Hammer in November 2020.

BHP’s recent deepwater well Broadside-1 has been the source of a lot of excitement and discussion in the public domain. So, what is the significance of this well and how did BHP get here?

Between 2012 and 2014, 9 blocks, in what T&T government considers our ultradeep acreage, were awarded and Production Sharing Contracts signed. 

2018 T&T concession map showing active blocks in 2018 (edited from MEEI www.energy.gov.tt)

These blocks represent two areas in the ultradeep, referred to as the Northern Licences and Southern Licences. BP farmed out their two blocks to BHP to operate in 2014. Between 2014 and 2015, PGS shot the largest 3D seismic survey ever acquired by an IOC for BHP – over 21,000 sq. km, using the world’s largest seismic vessels, the Ramform Titan and Ramform Atlas. In addition to BHP’s 9 blocks, 16 unlicensed blocks were also partially covered by the survey.

BHP later relinquished 23(b), TTDAA 7 and 28, leaving them with 6 active deepwater blocks as shown below.

In 2016, BHP began exploration drilling in the deepwater. 11 prospects have thus far have been drilled in 4 phases, all with the Transocean Deepwater Invictus drillship. 7 of these 11 have been gas discoveries. Broadside is the 11th prospect to be drilled, and the first in TTDAA 3.

For Broadside, the Invictus rig was 132 nautical miles off the east coast of Trinidad, where drilling was completed in late October in 6624ft of water. Broadside was drilled 32km east of the Le Clerc discovery well in TTDAA 5. Precise location on the map is not publicly available.

TTDAA 3 is superimposed onto the GDE map of the seafloor below. The blocks sits on the Outer Accretionary Prism (OAP). This is the youngest part of the accretionary prism formed as the South American Plate subducted beneath the Caribbean plate. In the OAP there is a series of fault propagation folds and the well most likely targeted this kind of trap. In the diagram below, it is clear that the thrusts, and hence folds, are oriented SW-NE in the TTDAA 3 Block. BHP has stated publicly that the main risks are reservoir presence and charge access. The line X – X’ goes from West to East across the southern part of the accretionary prism.

The Northern discoveries have been disclosed by T&T’s Ministry of Energy as totaling approximately 6.6 TCF of in place gas resources. The Northern discoveries will soon enter the Market Development Phase of the PSC’s and if all works out, will have first gas somewhere in 2026/2027.

Broadside was targeting 3 Miocene horizons; first is at 20,537 ft MD, and then two deeper targets were to be tested. If this was done, Broadside would be the deepest well ever drilled in T&T. The well was also very significant as it was testing an oil play in TTDAA 3. As explained above, all other discoveries have been gas. The Southern Deepwater Blocks have long shown potential for oil from shallow seabed samples and thermogenic gas finds.

On October 29th, it was announced by the Trinidad Guardian that Broadside was dry. Confirmation from the MEEI and BHP is pending, and no further details are available at time of writing of this piece.

BHP’s exploration efforts so far in these deepwater blocks, covering geological studies, seismic and drilling has cost over USD 1 billion, according to Minister of Energy, Franklin Khan.

Of BHP’s 6 deepwater blocks, no wells have yet been drilled in TTDAA 6 or 29. We look forward to the next phases of drilling and wish them the best of luck. The disappointing result of Broadside should not be viewed only in that light –the data acquired in this well will be key for BHP’s future exploration. They now have critical information that was now available before and may very well lead to success in the future!

Javed Razack, Geological Society of T&T, Nov 25, 2020

Sources:

·https://www.energy.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Address-by-the-Minister-of-Energy-BHP-Broadside-Well-TTDAA3.pdf

·MEEI Consolidated Bulletins https://www.energy.gov.tt/publications/

·BHP Operational Reviews https://www.bhp.com/media-and-insights/reports-and-presentations?sort=date&q0_r=category%3DOperational%2BReviews