US oil and gas company, Apache Corporation, and Total S.

A. announced that the Noble Sam Croft drillship has commenced operations at the Keskesi East-1 exploration well in Suriname, according to a press release.  

The start-up of operations comes after reservoir and other technical data was gathered in the Santonian. The company was able to successfully retrieve rotary sidewall cores but was unable to collect representative fluid samples from the reservoir due to conditions caused by cementing operations. 

Previously, Kwaskwasi-1 discovered hydrocarbons in multiple stacked targets in the upper Cretaceous-aged Campanian and Santonian intervals. The well encountered 278 meters of net oil and volatile oil/ gas-condensate pay. The shallower Campanian interval contains 63 meters (207 feet) of net oil pay and 86 meters (282 feet) of net volatile oil/gas-condensate pay. The Santonian interval contains 129 meters (423 feet) of net pay. 

Apache holds a 50% working interest in Block 58 whilst Total S.A. holds the remaining 50% working interest.