Offshore staff
LONDON – The block 4 partners offshore Tanzania have scored two more deepwater gas discoveries.
According to Ophir Energy, the Kamba-1 well, drilled by theDeepsea Metro I drillship in 1,379 m (4,524 ft) of water, found a total of 1.03 tcf (29 bcm) of gas in the Kamba and Fulusi prospects.
The well was drilled to a TD of 3,969 m (13,021 ft). It encountered an 18-m (59-ft) gross gas column in Fulusi, a northern extension of the earlier Pweza discovery.
After side tracking to test the Cretaceous Kamba prospect, the Kamba-1ST well established another gas column of 140 m (459 ft) with better quality reservoir sands than prognosed.
Kamba-1 was the joint venture’s 16th consecutive discovery well in blocks 1, 3 and 4, lifting overall recoverable resources to 17.1 tcf (480 bcm). The result also means a third LNG train could be feasible for supplies from blocks 1 and 4, Ophir claimed.
Deepsea Metro Idrillship will next drill two operated wells for Ophir off Tanzania in the East Pande and block 7 production-sharing contracts (PSC).
East Pande is between the coast and the gas discoveries in blocks 1 and 2. The Tende-1 well will be drilled to a planned TD of 4,200 m (13,779 ft) on trend with the recent Taachui-1 discovery in block 1 in a water depth of 680 m (2,231 ft). It will target gas in a lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoir with prospective resources of 2.38 tcf (67 bcm). Drilling is expected to last around 35 days.
After completing Tende-1,Deepsea Metro I will move north to drill the Mkuki-1 well in the western, inboard portion of block 7, in a water depth of 1,655 m (5,430 ft) and with a planned TD of 3,200 m (10,498 ft).
It will target gas in a Tertiary clastic reservoir with possible resources of 2.19 tcf (62 bcm). This well is expected to take 20 days to drill.
BG has decided to withdraw from block 3, although Ophir and partner Pavilion Energy have committed to the next exploration phase.
Ophir has applied to enter the next PSC term and formally re-assume operatorship from this month, holding an 80% interest, with Pavilion retaining 20%; the application is subject to approval from Tanzania’s government.
The sole well drilled on the block to date resulted in the 2012Papa-1 gas discovery.
10/02/2014
