Touchstone Exploration said it has successfully drilled the Carapal Ridge-3 development well on its onshore Central block in Trinidad and Tobago and encountered significant gas-bearing sands and supporting the potential for additional development drilling.

The Carapal Ridge-3 well is the first drilled into the Carapal Ridge pool in seventeen years and the first development well drilled on the Central block since 2006. 

Touchstone holds a 65 per cent operating working interest in the well, with Heritage Petroleum Company Limited holding the remaining 35 per cent.

According to the company, the well encountered approximately 1,082 feet of net sand, including approximately 1,000 feet of net Herrera sand. 

Open-hole wireline logging, mud logging and drilling data indicate the presence of hydrocarbon-bearing sands throughout the Herrera interval, both above and below a shale marker.

The well was spud on November 23, 2025, and drilled to a total depth of 8,200 feet over a 35 day period. 

It was subsequently cased for future production. 

Touchstone said the well was approximately 25 per cent over budget due primarily to efforts to control natural gas flows from the Karamat sands, which have not previously been produced on the Central block. 

The company said about 635 feet of net sand were encountered in the developed Herrera reservoir above the shale marker, with an additional 365 feet of net Herrera sand below the marker in an unproduced reservoir. 

Although originally planned as a deviated well, the company said the well naturally built angle during drilling, resulting in approximately 341 feet drilled horizontally into the unproduced Herrera sand package.

Completion operations and testing are underway.

Touchstone said it intends to initially produce from the lower horizontal section of the well, with the option to perforate the uphole developed Herrera sands at a later date.

Touchstone President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Baay said the well represents the company’s first horizontal well drilled into the Herrera reservoir and confirmed the seismic model and extent of the Herrera sands.

“These results are encouraging and support the potential for three additional Herrera wells on the block,” Baay said.

The successful drilling was welcomed by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Energy and Energy Industries Minister Roodal Moonilal and Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries Ernesto Kesar said the results support the government’s efforts to bring additional natural gas to market.

The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries said it looks forward to continued collaboration with Touchstone and other operators to develop and grow the energy sector for the benefit of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.