Echo Energy to progress drilling programme at Tapi Aike block

Upstream oil and gas firm Echo Energy has announced that it will continue to progress drilling programme at its upcoming Tapi Aike block in Argentina.

Echo Energy and operator Compania General de Combustibles (CGC) will continue to progress the 3D seismic survey processing, acquired across the Tapi Aike block this year.

Towards the eastern portion of the Chiripa Oeste 3D survey area, the company has selected five areas for surface location permits and an environmental impact analysis (EIA) study covering these areas has been submitted for approval to the respective provincial authorities.

Echo Energy noted that one among these five locations would be selected to drill the La Vanguardia x-1 well, once the ongoing seismic assessment concludes.

The La Vanguardia x-1 well is the first well under the proposed four well Tapi Aike exploration drilling programme. It is expected to be drilled to a depth of around 3,000m using the Petreven H-205 rig.

Subsurface interpretation is underway at the La Vanguardia x-1 well while its design will be finalised after the completion of the seismic analysis.

The well is expected to be spudded in the fourth quarter of this year.

Echo Energy chief executive Martin Hull said: “I am pleased to report that we continue to make good progress as we prepare for the start of the Tapi Aike drilling campaign.

“The La Vanguardia x-1 well will be the first of a proposed four well drilling programme on the Tapi Aike asset, which has the potential to deliver material value for the company and its shareholders.”

Last September, Echo Energy awarded a contract to UGA SEISMIC to compile a 3D map of several leads across assets in Argentina. The company also unveiled plans to drill four new exploration wells in Argentina as part of its 2018 work programme in the country.