Apache Announces First Oil From The North Sea's Tonto Field; Initial Production Flow Exceeds 10,000 Barrels Per Day

HOUSTON, April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Apache Corporation (NYSE, Nasdaq: APA) today announced that its Tonto oil field in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea commenced production on April 24, 2013. Tonto-1, the first producing well, came on stream at an initial rate of 10,346 barrels of oil per day. Apache holds a 100-percent working interest in the Tonto Field.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130430/DA04072)

Tonto-1 was drilled as a deviated well from the Forties Bravo production platform. The appraisal wellbore encountered 62 feet of net oil pay in an Eocene-aged sandstone reservoir at a depth of 6,325 feet, which was followed by a horizontal completion lateral that logged 243 feet (measured depth) of net oil pay.

"Seismic inversion processing unlocked pay in the Tonto field, which lies above the main Forties Paleocene reservoir," said James L. House, Apache's regional vice president for the North Sea. "We penetrated Tonto several times in wells targeting Forties. New seismic techniques enabled Apache's North Sea geoscience team to gain a better understanding of Tonto and establish a development plan."

House noted that Apache has been working closely with the UK government to commence production ahead of a new 3-D seismic survey that will be acquired over Forties in July 2013. Tonto oil reserves produced in advance of this survey will allow geoscientists to image production patterns within the Eocene reservoir to optimize the placement of future Tonto producers. Drilling of an additional development well is currently planned by year-end 2013 following analysis of the 4-D (time lapse) seismic data.

Tonto follows Maule and Bacchus as the third new oil field brought online by Apache in the Forties area within the last three years. All three of these developments have qualified under the UK government's small field allowance system, which provides economic incentives for operators to bring these discoveries into production.

About Apache
Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Canada, Egypt, the United Kingdom North Sea, Australia and Argentina. Apache posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and copies of all press releases on its website, www.apachecorp.com.

Forward-looking statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "believes," "estimates," "expects" and similar references to future periods. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about seismic data acquisition, potential drilling locations, planned drilling activity, future production, and exploration prospects, and Apache's ability to execute on production and development plans in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea. While forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results and developments will meet our expectations and predictions depends on a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, performance and financial condition to differ materially from our expectations. See "Risk Factors" in our 2012 Form 10-K and our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risk factors that affect our business. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future development, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

NOTE to editors:
A map and illustration of the Tonto development accompanying this news release can be accessed at http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130430/DA04072.

APA-UK

SOURCE Apache Corporation