Search results

Noble Energy and its partners have announced a new gas and condensate discovery on Block I, on trend with its Belinda discovery on Block O, enabling it to raise reserves estimates by 60%. The I-4 exploration well encountered a high quality Miocene reservoir that tested at flow rates of 1,634 b/d of condensate and 28.9m ft3/d of natural gas, equivalent to some 6,450 boe/d.

Confident of first gas by year-end, VOG is looking to its Logbaba project to fund expansion in West Africa and the former Soviet Union

Afren plc has followed its acquisition of Devon Energy Corporation’s assets in Ghana and Angola by acquiring Devon’s assets in Côte d’Ivoire

Suntera Resources Ltd – a joint venture between Russian natural gas company Itera Group and India’s Russia-focused Sun Group – is pulling out of Equatorial Guniea, but plans greater involvement in Nigeria.

Drilling next year will test whether north-west Africa’s previously unfashionable deep offshore could produce an equivalent of Ghana’s Jubilee field. A declaration of commerciality for the Banda gas field off Mauritania could add to the industry’s interest in lesser-known Atlantic Margin plays, write John Hamilton and Thalia Griffiths

Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (Egas) has awarded eight exploration licences out of 15 offered in a bid round last year. Most of the successful bidders are already present in the country, but Australia’s Pura Vida Energy is entering Egypt for the first time.

London-based Gulfsands Petroleum has agreed with Australia’s AuDAX Resources to farm into the Chorbane and Kerkouane permits in Tunisia and the adjacent G.R15.PU permit in southern Italy.

Frank Timis’ West African oil exploration company African Petroleum Corporation announced on 3 September that the period of exclusivity granted to PetroChina under a July memorandum of understanding has expired without a deal being reached.

East Africa player Africa Oil Corporation has announced a private placement of up to 25m shares at C$7.75/share to raise C$193.75m. The proceeds will be used to fund the company’s work programme in East Africa and for general working capital purposes.

Tlou Energy announced on 28 June that drilling of production wells is set to begin in Q3 following the arrival of a core drilling rig at the company’s Lesedi and Mamba coal bed methane (CBM) projects. The new production wells will be dual lateral wells intersecting a vertical well and located near the proposed central processing facility. Tlou is working with geological and drilling consultants to optimise production well design to enhance flow rates for the wells, which could provide sufficient gas for 2MW of power generation.

Australia’s Global Petroleum has granted National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) an additional 7% interest in Block 2011A (PEL 94) in the Walvis Basin, in exchange for licensing 3D data acquired in 2010. The 1,583km2 survey covers the Welwitschia Deep prospect and Marula lead and will enable precise mapping of these features.The agreement will increase Namcor’s holding in the block to 17%. Private Namibian company Aloe Investments holds 5%, while Global holds the other 78%.

Following its acquisition of Harvest Natural Resources’ 66.7% stake, Norway’s BW Offshore has signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a further 25% in the Dussafu production-sharing contract from Panoro Energy subsidiary Pan-Petroleum Gabon (AE 340/1). BW will pay Pan-Petroleum $12m in cash and provide a sellers’ credit of up to $12.5m to fund capital spending for Pan-Petroleum’s retained interest through to first oil. Total gross spending to reach first oil in 2018 is estimated at $150m.

Eni has announced a gas and condensate discovery with the Akoma-1X well on Cape Three Points Block 4, 12km from the Sankofa production hub. The well was drilled by the Maersk Voyager drillship to a total depth of 3,790 metres in a water depth of 350 metres. The well contains an estimated 550-650bcf of gas and 18-20m bbls of condensate, with further upside potential for both gas and oil. The well was the first to be drilled on the block, which was licensed to Eni in 2016.

Anadarko Petroleum plans an exploration programme on the Rovuma Onshore Block, with two firm wells and one conditional well. The Tembo-1 well is due to spud imminently, to be followed by Kifaru-1. Wentworth Resources managing director Geoff Bury told Global Pacific & Partners’ Africa Independents’ Forum the rig had arrived on location in May. He said the Tembo prospect was thought to be oil-prone “but we won’t be disappointed if it’s gas. Quite frankly we’re little guys, we’re looking for a discovery.”

Business fixer and lobbyist Pierre Goudiaby Atepa, who introduced Frank Timis to then president Abdoulaye Wade, denied that exploitation of Senegal’s offshore resources could lead to an ‘oil curse’, as opposition critics complain, when he spoke recently to local television station TFM. Goudiaby said he had received no reward for introducing Timis to Wade. He was only “working for the good of my country in my role as presidential adviser”. At the time, newly appointed energy minister Samuel Sarr led the negotiations, supported by Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (Petrosen) director-general Serigne Mboup. Sarr was replaced as minister in 2009, when presidential son Karim Wade inherited the African Petroleum Corporation (APC) dossier.