據海上工程師網報道，全球著名油氣市場研究機構韋斯特伍德全球能源集團（Westwood Global Energy Group）日前表示，今年上半年全球共完鉆38口高影響力勘探井，幾乎與去年同期全球完成39口高影響力勘探井的情況類似。38口高影響力勘探井中有13口具有潛在的商業開采價值，商業成功率為34%，已發現油氣資源量約為60億桶油當量。

韋斯特伍德全球能源集團認為，高影響力勘探井是指那些目標為1億桶油當量（中等可采儲量）的井，或任何前沿遠景區試驗井。

在38口高影響力勘探井中，有8口井確定了試驗前沿遠景區，在納米比亞近海奧蘭治盆地的Venus和Graff勘探井中獲得了重要的盆地開口發現。  

法國道達爾能源公司在納米比亞深海海域發現的Venus井是今年迄今為止最大的發現，在下白堊紀Aptian-Albian盆地海床沉積扇中擁有數十億桶的潛在儲量。然而，在肯尼亞海上拉姆盆地的Mlima井和在黑山共和國海上的Ulcinj井都發生了主要的前期勘探失利。 

在今年上半年，18口高影響力勘探井測試了開發初期的遠景區，獲得了9個商業發現，商業成功率為50%。在蘇里南-圭亞那海域的上白堊統地區，共完成了8口高影響力井的完井作業，取得了6口井的成功。今年上半年其他新發現的油氣藏位于黎凡特盆地、珀斯盆地和奧蘭治盆地。

主要的開發初期遠景區失敗包括巴西塞爾希培—阿拉戈斯盆地的Cutthroat井，該井勘探范圍試圖擴展巴拉上白堊統遠景區，以及澳大利亞近海Roebuck盆地的Apus井，該井未能擴展多拉多遠景區。

在正在成熟/成熟遠景區的高影響力勘探令人失望，在美國墨西哥灣休倫所鉆的12口井中只獲得了一個潛在的商業發現。在巴西試圖拓展鹽下遠景區的嘗試多次失敗，阿塞拜疆淺水地區的SWAP許可證也令人失望。  

全球高影響力鉆井活動將在今年下半年回升，預計到今年底前將完鉆80口-90口高影響力勘探井，這是自2019年以來的最高數字，2019年全球共完鉆98口高影響力勘探井。 

南美洲今后將繼續是全球油氣勘探熱點，蘇里南-圭亞那盆地和巴西近海計劃鉆取更多的井。非洲將在今年恢復高影響力勘探鉆井，繼今年早些時候在納米比亞取得成功后，計劃在南非、莫桑比克和津巴布韋開展關鍵井的勘探作業。雖然亞太地區和歐洲西北部的活動水平相對穩定，但在去年沒有鉆取任何井的情況下，地中海東部深水區將在今年恢復高影響力勘探鉆井作業。

韋斯特伍德全球能源集團強調，全球在今年剩余的時間里計劃鉆取的13口井是“值得關注的關鍵井”。其中包括一系列前沿遠景區試驗井，例如莫桑比克近海的Raia井和英國近海的Pensacola井已探明遠景區的延伸，位于美國墨西哥灣的Hoodoo井和蘇里南海上的Zanderij井； 位于圭亞那近海的Wei井都已探明遠景區的大型遠景構造。

韋斯特伍德全球能源集團在最近發布的一份報告中詳細回顧了今年上半年內全球的高影響力鉆井業績。

李峻 編譯自 美國油價網

原文如下：

High Impact Exploration Sees Rebound

38 high-impact exploration wells were drilled in the first half of 2022, similar to the same period in 2021 when 39 wells completed, says industry analysts Westwood Global Energy Group. The 38 wells resulted in 13 potentially commercial discoveries at a 34% commercial success rate, delivering ~6bnboe of discovered resource.

Westwood Global considers high-impact well as those targeting a >100mmboe (mid-case, recoverable) prospect or any frontier play test.

Eight of the wells 38 high-impact wells identified tested frontier plays, with significant basin-opening discoveries at Venus and Graff in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. 

TotalEnergies' Venus in deepwater offshore Namibia is the largest discovery in 2022 so far, with multi-bnboe potential in a Lower Cretaceous Aptian-Albian basin floor fan. There were, however, key frontier failures at Mlima in the Lamu Basin offshore Kenya and at Ulcinj offshore Montenegro.

18 wells tested emerging plays in 1H 2022 resulting in nine commercial discoveries and a 50% commercial success rate. Eight wells were completed in the Upper Cretaceous play offshore Suriname-Guyana delivering six successes. The other emerging play discoveries were in the Levantine (Athena), Perth (S Erregulla) and Orange (La Rona) basins. Key emerging play failures include Cutthroat in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, which tried to extend the Barra Upper Cretaceous play, as well as Apus in the Roebuck Basin offshore Australia, which was unsuccessful in extending the Dorado play.

High impact exploration in maturing/mature plays disappointed, with only one potentially commercial discovery from 12 wells drilled, at Huron in the US Gulf of Mexico. There were multiple failures attempting to extend the pre-salt play in Brazil, as well as further disappointments in the SWAP licence in the shallow waters of Azerbaijan.

High impact drilling activity will pick up in the second half of the year, with between 80 and 90 high impact wells expected to have been drilled by the end of 2022, the highest number since 2019 when 98 high impact wells completed.

South America will continue to be an exploration hot spot with more wells planned for the Suriname-Guyana basin and offshore Brazil. Africa will see a return to high impact exploration in 2022, with key wells planned in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe following the successes in Namibia earlier in the year. Whilst activity levels in Asia-Pacific and NW Europe are relatively stable, 2022 sees a return to high impact exploration in the deepwater of the Eastern Mediterranean after 2021 when no wells were drilled.

Westwood has highlighted 13 wells planned for the remainder of 2022 as ‘key wells to watch’. These include a number of frontier play tests, for example Raia offshore Mozambique, and Pensacola, offshore UK; extensions of proven plays, including Zanderij offshore Suriname and Hoodoo, US Gulf of Mexico; and large prospects in proven plays, such as Wei, offshore Guyana.

High impact drilling performance for 1H 2022 as well as the key wells to watch for 2H 2022 are reviewed in detail by Westwood in a recently published report.