ONTARIO, Canada — Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. plans to spud the Gazania-1 well offshore South Africa in September. The well will take about 25 days to drill.Â
Eco through its wholly owned subsidiary Azinam South Africa Ltd. operates and holds a 50% working interest in Block 2B. The Gazania-1 well is located 25 km offshore the Northern Cape in South Africa.
Courtesy Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd.
The Block 2B joint venture comprises Eco (operator), Africa Energy Corp. (27.5% working interest), Panoro 2B Ltd. (12.5% working interest) and Crown Energy AB (10% working interest). The JV will drill the Gazania-1 exploration well in the third quarter. The well is being drilled 25 km offshore in 150 m of water and will be drilled to a depth of about 2,800 m to target a stacked pay section updip of the AJ-1 discovery and in the proven oil horizon. Â
As announced in early March, Eco contracted the Island Innovator rig with Island Drilling Co. AS, and the rig is to be mobilized from Bergen, Norway, in the second half of July. The semisubmersible drilling rig was selected for its safe operating systems, its stationary anchoring and its system specifically engineered for the engineering requirements and depth range for this well. The well was anticipated to be low pressure and low temperature based on the evaluation of all regional wells. It will be cased with three telescoped and cemented casings and will be drilled with water-based drilling fluids. The company plans to seal and plug the well after the test with no remaining equipment left on the seafloor. The seafloor well area was surveyed in 2021 to confirm there are no environmental or culturally sensitive concerns.Â
Colin Kinley, Co-Founder and COO of Eco Atlantic said, "The acquisition of Azinam created an opportunity to work with the JV partners, the Government of South Africa and importantly the people of South Africa to drill this significant well in Q3 this year."
