Muanda International Oil Company (MIOC), Perenco’s Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) subsidiary, has drilled two exploration wells to date in 2024, making the first exploration discovery offshore the country in almost thirty years.
Using the Dixstone-owned Nuada self-elevated class 82 SD-C jack-up drilling rig, the Moke-East well, located between Lukami and Motoba fields in the DRC coastal basin, encountered a 24 feet net oil-bearing column.
The discovery will be tested and the well completed in the coming weeks, according to Perenco.
The Nuada rig has now spud the first of twelve wells on the GCO field, as part of MIOC’s continuing development drilling campaign offshore DRC, aiming to unlock further additional resources in the country. They are expected to be completed in parallel with the CS02 Workover unit on the same location.
The second exploration well, the LUKS-A well, which was targeting a southern extension of the Pinda formation has now been plugged and abandoned following insufficient hydrocarbon potential to complete the well.
“While testing continues, we are encouraged by the initial results of the Moke-East well. Following many months of preparatory work to ensure safe and successful operations, the Nuada has now moved onto the GCO field where it will be active for the next twelve months.
“As the DRC’s only international oil and gas producer, we are very pleased to further demonstrate our commitment, through this investment, to the discovery of new resources. We firmly believe that the DRC’s oil and gas industry has a very positive future and that new projects could lead to the valorisation of LPG extracted from the gas for the local market, or to provide more gas to power in Muanda,” said Frédéric Kiepferle, Perenco’s DRC General Manager.