Gran Tierra Energy, a Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company, has made an oil discovery during the drilling of Bretaña Norte 95-2-1XD exploration well in Peru.

The Bretaña Norte 95-2-1XD exploration well was drilled on its block 95, four kilometers away from the Bretaña-1 discovery.

Initial drilling results of the well indicated oil-saturated reservoir was intersected about 48ft higher than Bretaña-1 and indicate gross oil column of 99ft.

Gran Tierra encountered oil shows at the top of the target Vivian reservoir section and the log interpretations, MDT fluid and pressure sampling indicate presence of oil bearing sandstone reservoir starting at 9,408ft measured depth with approximate gross oil column thickness of 99ft and 53ft net pay thickness.

The company is designing a testing program for the well to further investigate reservoir productivity.

Gran Tierra Energy president and chief executive Dana Coffield said the company acquired three cores encompassing 90% of the oil bearing reservoir section.

"Oil samples have also been acquired and are being analyzed which, with a testing program that is currently being designed to test
reservoir productivity, will assist in determining the commerciality of the discovery," Coffield added.

Gran Tierra Energy owns 100% working interest in the block and is its operator.

In addition, the firm said that the Moqueta-8 appraisal well in Colombia has been successfully tested and is now drilling the Moqueta-9 appraisal well to evaluate full potential of the oil discovery.