Offshore staff
LONDON – Tullow Oil has discovered hydrocarbons with the first well in an exploration drilling campaign targeting deeper-lying plays offshore Mauritania.
Frégate-1 was drilled to a depth of 5,426 m (17,802 ft) in the C-7 license. It encountered up to 30 m (98.4 ft) of net gas/condensate and oil pay in multiple sands.
Tullow says the well represents a technical breakthrough by establishing a new oil play in deepwater late cretaceous turbidites. The company plans to integrate the results with its regional 3D seismic surveys.
After P&A’ing the well the rig will next drill the Tapendar prospect in block C-10.
Mauritania’s government has approved the development plan for theBanda offshore gas field, which will involve a gas-to-power development.
Tullow and its partners have received bids for engineering, procurement, and construction and are in pre-award negotiations with contractors. Commercial discussions continue on the gas sales agreement and associated power purchase agreements.
Processing also continues of 4,000 sq km (1,544 sq mi) of 3D data for drilling the deepwater Fatala (ex-Eos) prospect this spring. Tullow assumed operatorship of the exploration concession last April.
Offshore Suriname, the company says interpretations of a 3,000-sq km (1,158-sq mi) 3D seismic survey over block 47 in late 2012 have confirmed the presence of major deepwater turbidite systems. Exploratory drilling could start next year with a well on the Goliathberg/Votzberg South prospect.
In December 2013, Tullow completed the farm-out 30% ofUruguayan offshore block 15 to INPEX Uruguay. Interpretation is under way of a 2,000-sq km (772-sq mi) 3D seismic survey acquired last year.
02/13/2014
