11-06-01 Noble Affiliates announced that the successful completion and testing of a major natural gas and condensate well, Alba ##9, in the Alba Field of Equatorial Guinea, has lead to a near doubling of the field's proven and probable reserves, which now exceed 1 bn boe.*
The Alba ##9 well is located 2.4 miles from the nearest producing well in the Alba natural gas and condensate field. The field is located 18 miles offshore Equatorial Guinea, north of Bioko Island. The well tested at a rate of 37.5 mm cfpd of gas and 2,400 bpd of condensate (46 degree API gravity) from 120 feet of perforations on a one-inch choke at 2,473 pounds per square inch flowing tubing pressure and 197 pounds per square inch bottom hole pressure draw down. It is estimated that the well will be capable of producing 100 mm cfpd of gas and 6,200 bpd of condensate.
The well encountered 1,000 feet of gross sand thickness and 732 feet of net pay. As a result of this well and the previous Alba ##8 well, together with reservoir data, the estimated proven and probable reserves for the field are more than 300 mm barrels of liquid hydrocarbons associated with 4.6 tcf of natural gas.

A recently completed development program for the Alba Field increased daily production from 6,900 barrels of condensate, 1,800 barrels of natural gas liquids and 93 mm cfpd of gas to the current level of 16,000 barrels of condensate, 2,400 barrels of natural gas liquids and 240 mm cfpd of gas. Approximately 105 mm cfpd of gas is being utilized in the AMPCO-operated methanol plant that just began operation on Bioko Island, and the remaining gas is being re- injected into the reservoir. Noble and its partners are actively evaluating development scenarios to significantly expand the facilities to increase condensate and natural gas liquids production.
Participants in the Alba Field include the operator CMS Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of CMS Energy, 52.38 %; Noble Affiliates, 33.75 %; Globex International, 10.87 %; and the government of Equatorial Guinea, 3 %. Participants in AMPCO include Noble Affiliates, 45 %; CMS Energy, 45 %; and the government of Equatorial Guinea, 10 %.

Noble Affiliates is an independent energy company with exploration and production operations throughout major basins in the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, as well as international operations primarily in Argentina, China, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and Vietnam.

CMS Energy Corporation has annual sales of more than $ 11 bn and assets of about $ 16 bn throughout the US and in selected foreign markets with businesses in electric and natural gas utility operations; independent power production; natural gas pipelines, gathering, processing and storage; oil and gas exploration and production; and energy marketing, services and trading.
* Gas converted at 6,000 cf of gas to 1 boe.