Amerada Hess Makes Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Discovery

Amerada Hess has made a new deepwater oil discovery at the Tubular Bells Prospect located in Mississippi Canyon Block 725. The block is located 135 miles Southeast of New Orleans.

The Tubular Bells discovery well is located in approximately 4,300 feet of water and was drilled to a depth of 31,131 feet by Transocean Inc.'s semisub, Deepwater Horizon. The Exploratory well encountered 190 feet of net oil pay. Further appraisal drilling is planned to determine the extent of the discovery.

Amerada Hess Corporation owns 20 percent working interest in Tubular Bells. Partners are BP (Operator, 50 percent working interest) and ChevronTexaco (30 percent working interest).