Total and Apache have unearthed what they have termed a "significant" oil and gas discovery with their latest exploration well offshore Suriname, the fourth find on what has swiftly become a prolific tract.

The French supermajor — which has just taken over from US independent Apache as operator of Block 58 — revealed on Thursday that the Keskesi East-1 wildcat hit a total of 63 net metres of hydrocarbons.

Of this total, 58 metres was "net black oil, volatile oil, and gas pay in good quality Campano-Maastrichtian reservoirs". There was also 5 metres of "net volatile oil pay in Santonian reservoirs, where wireline logging has just been performed", Total added.

Houston-based Apache noted in its own statement: "Fluid samples indicate API oil gravities of approximately 27 to 28 degrees in the Campanian and 35 to 37 degrees in the Santonian."

The partners are still chasing further potential pay at the well as drilling is ongoing into deeper Neocomian-aged targets, the Paris-based operator said.

The well was drilled in a water depth of about 725 metres by the drillship Noble Sam Croft.

As reported by Upstream in November, then operator Apache was forced to sidetrack the well after encountering stability problems in the upper section.

“We have since moved ahead and the well is in good shape. We are anxious to move forward,” chief executive John Christmann told analysts in an earnings call in early November.

Under an earlier farm-in deal, Total took over as operator of Block 58 on 1 January. Keskesi East 1 is the fourth find on the block in little over a year, following Maka Central, Sapakara West and Kwaskwasi.

Total's vice president for exploration, Kevin McLachlan, said on Thursday: “We are delighted to announce this new discovery, which confirms this first exploration campaign as a full success and adds to the proven resource base.

"We are also excited, as new operator of the block, to start the appraisal operations designed to characterise the 2020 discoveries, while in parallel start a second exploration campaign on this prolific block in 2021."

Apache's Christmann said on Thursday that the Keskesi East-1 success has proven oil in the eastern portion of the block.

“We are excited to commence the appraisal programme on our initial discoveries and extend our Block 58 exploration programme to the north in 2021," he added of drilling plans this year.

Total and Apache each hold 50% stakes in Block 58.

When the Noble Sam Croft is finished at Keskesi East-1, it will return to neighbouring Guyana to resume drilling for US supermajor ExxonMobil.

Exploration

'Significant find': Total and Apache in fresh Suriname oil and gas discovery