Anadarko Achieves First Oil at Its Gulf of Mexico Caesar

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC), as operator, announced first production at the Caesar/Tonga development in the Green Canyon area of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Production from Caesar/Tonga, with an estimated resource base of 200 to 400 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), is expected to ramp up to approximately 45,000 BOE per day from the first three subsea wells. A fourth development well is expected to be drilled and completed later this year, as part of the planned Phase I development.

"We are excited to announce we began producing high-quality oil from the Caesar/Tonga development on March 7, 2012; an outstanding accomplishment by our project team consisting of co-owners, our employees and contractors," said President and Chief Operating Officer Al Walker. "Our ability to safely achieve cost savings of almost $1 billion by leveraging our existing, operated infrastructure in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico continues to demonstrate the value of our hub-and-spoke approach to exploration and development. Caesar/Tonga is yet another capital-efficient, deepwater project in our Gulf of Mexico portfolio that we have successfully developed. This development and the Gulf of Mexico are an important part of Anadarko's liquids growth and our domestically produced energy."

The Barquentine-2 well is located in water depths of approximately 5,400 feet (1,650 meters) in the Offshore Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin. The drillstem test was conducted by the Deepwater Millennium drillship, which is expected to be mobilized to the Barquentine-1 location for a second flow and interference test in the complex. The 2012 testing program also includes drillstem tests in the Lagosta and Camarao areas to the south of Barquentine.

Anadarko is the operator of the 2.6-million-acre Offshore Area 1 with a 36.5-percent working interest. Co-owners in the area are Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1, Limited (20 percent), BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. (10 percent), Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Limited (10 percent) and Cove Energy Mozambique Rovuma Offshore, Ltd. (8.5 percent). Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, E.P.’s 15-percent interest is carried through the exploration phase.

Source: Anadarko