Australian operator BHP has made a sub-commercial discovery at the Wasabi-2 location in the US Gulf of Mexico, and attracted a major farm-in partner to an offshore exploration venture in Barbados.

In the central Gulf of Mexico, BHP said the Wasabi-2 well encountered sub-commercial hydrocarbons and was plugged and abandoned.

"This completes the Wasabi exploration programme, with results under evaluation to determine next steps."

The Wasabi-2 well in Block GC124 was targeting oil in an early Miocene reservoir.

The well spudded on 17 November 2021 in 764 metres of water, with BHP holding a 75% interest.

The previous Wasabi-1 well had a mechanical problem and was plugged and abandoned on 13 November 2021.

Barbados

BHP said that, on 2 March 2022, it had signed a farm-out agreement with a subsidiary of Shell to assign 40% equity in each of the two Barbados offshore exploration licences – the Bimshire and Carlisle Bay blocks.

The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals and third-party consents, with completion expected by the end of the June 2022 quarter, added BHP.

A 3D seismic survey was acquired in November 2021 over a portion of the Bimshire and Carlisle Bay blocks. Processed data were expected to be delivered in mid-2022.

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