Republic of Congo: Marine IX well

Operator SOCO International and its partners on Marine XI have agreed to accelerate the drilling of the Lideka Marine East 1 well. The Transocean Falcon 100 drilling rig has been secured and the well is expected to spud before the end of Q2. SOCO said the well would be a test of stacked plays and would test both a structural closure updip from an oil leg encountered in the Lideka Marine 1 well drilled 2km to the west, and a large untested structural closure in an overlying formation. SOCO has also been awarded a one-year exploration licence over the onshore, coastal Nanga II A Block near the M’Boundi field. The initial plan is to evaluate aeromagnetic data and reprocess existing 2D seismic before deciding whether to proceed with a limited 3D seismic survey. Once work is complete, SOCO will decide whether to enter into a production-sharing contract.