Offshore staff
LONDON – Tullow Oil and its partners are in talks with Guinea’s government on a resumption of operations on an offshore exploration block. This follows the lifting of a brief period of Force Majeure last May.
Timing of a planned well on the Fatala prospect will also depend on the ongoingEbola situation in Guinea.
In other parts of West Africa,Tullow has been reviewing and integrating well data to determine future drilling targets offshore Mauritania to build on its 2013 Frégate-1 gas/condensate and oil discovery in block 7.
Last June, 1,786 line km (1,100 mi) of 2D seismic was acquired as part of the C-18 license exploration program, and another 2D survey is in progress in the C-3 license where around 1,800 line km (1,118 mi) of data was shot during October and November.
Off Equatorial Guinea, the Hess-led partnership acquired a 4D seismic monitor survey last year over the producing Ceiba field, and results will be used to optimize future infill drilling plans.
In December, Tullow transferred its operating stake in the Kudu gas field project offshore Namibia to state oil company NAMCOR. Tullow is providing interim technical assistance to NAMCOR as it assumes the operator role.
Late last year Tullow completed a farm-in to offshore exploration license PEL 0030 covering block 2012A and operated by Eco Atlantic. The company is targeting an extension of an oil play in moderate water depths that was previously identified in PEL 0037.
During November, a 3D seismic survey was completed over PEL-0030 as was processing of an earlier survey over PEL-0037.
Across the Atlantic, the company signed a production-sharing agreement last November for acreageoffshore Jamaica in the Walton and Morant basins. This includes 10 full blocks and one part block in shallow water to the south of the island.
The company has committed initially to low-cost offshore operations (a bathymetry and drop core survey) and to reprocess seismic, ahead of deciding on whether to proceed and acquire new 2D and 3D seismic during the initial three and a half year exploration period.
Offshore Suriname, the company will participate in a well on the Spari prospect in block 31, to be drilled in 2Q/3Q. Additionally, Tullow as operator has submitted an environmental and social impact assessment ahead of a 4,000-sq km (1,544-sq mi) 3D seismic program in block 54.
Off Guyana, processing continues of 3,175 sq km (1,226 sq mi) of 3D and 857 km (532 mi) of 2D seismic acquired in late 2013, with geological studies and interpretation under way of intermediate seismic volumes to prepare a prospect portfolio for the Kanuku block. Later this year the partners must decide whether to enter the next period of the license, which carries a commitment for an exploration well.
Tullow is interpreting recently processed 3D seismic acquired offshore Uruguay in 2013 over block 15. Again, a decision is due later this year over the next phase of the license and exploration drilling.
02/12/2015
