BP, Kosmos in major Senegal find, potential new LNG hub

Dallas-based Kosmos Energy and BP have made a new, major gas discovery offshore Senegal, which could support a second LNG hub in the basin, according to the independent.

Kosmos estimates that the Yakaar-1 discovery, drilled using the Atwood Achiever drillship, discovered 15 Tcf gross Pmean gas resource, in-line with pre-drill expectations. 

Yakaar, which is in the Cayar Offshore Profond block about 95km northwest of Dakar, was drilled in nearly 2550m water depth to 4700m total depth. 

The well intersected a 120m gross hydrocarbon column in three pools within the primary Lower Cenomanian objective and 45m of net pay.

Kosmos CEO Andrew G. Inglis said: "Yakaar-1 discovered a major gas resource. Together with the Teranga – 1 discovery made last year, we believe this resource will support a second cost-competitive LNG hub [in addition to one being planned for Tortue]. The result also confirms our view of the potential scale of the petroleum system offshore Mauritania and Senegal, in particular the basin floor fan systems which have now been further de-risked, with the well demonstrating that reservoir and trap both work in these previously untested fairways.”

In December 2016, Kosmos entered a partnership with BP, aimed at advancing the development of the discovered gas resources offshore Mauritania and Senegal and finding more.

BP agreed to take a 62% stake in Kosmos Energy's gas Mauritanian exploration blocks plus a 32.49% effective working interest in the independent's Senegal exploration blocks - totaling some 33,000sq km. 

BP said it would invest nearly US$1 billion, mostly in the form of a multi-year exploration and development carry, to acquire the 62% interest and operatorship of offshore Blocks C-6, C-8, C-12 and C-13 in Mauritania and an effective 32.49% interest in the Saint-Louis Profond and Cayar Profond blocks in Senegal.

An appraisal program is now being planned to delineate the Yakaar discovery. After completion of operations on the Yakaar-1 well, however, the Atwood Achiever will mobilize to the Tortue-1 well to conduct a drill stem test (DST) on the Tortue discovery, enabling the start of front end engineering design in 2H 2017, a final investment decision in 2018 and first gas in 2021.