Kosmos in significant Senegal find

Kosmos Energy announced a “significant” natural gas discovery at its first exploration well offshore Senegal, in addition to memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of the cross-border Greater Tortue complex.

The Atwood Achiever. Image from Atwood Oceanics.

The discovery was made at the Guembeul-1 well, located in the northern part of the St. Louis offshore Profond license area in Senegal, and about 5km south of the basin-opening Tortue-1 gas discovery (renamed Ahmeyim) in approximately 2700m of water.

Guembeul-1 was drilled using the Atwood Achiever drillship to a total depth of 5245m, where the well encountered 101m (331ft) of net gas pay in two excellent quality reservoirs, which includes 56m (184ft) in the Lower Cenomanian, and 45m (148ft) in the underlying Albian, with no water encountered.

Importantly, Guembeul-1 has demonstrated reservoir continuity as well as static pressure communication with the Tortue-1 well in the Lower Cenomanian, suggesting a single, large gas accumulation. Moreover, the well has significantly de-risked adjacent prospectivity, including proving the existence of excellent quality reservoirs in the Albian. Furthermore, it has provided additional calibration of the company’s seismic attribute exploration tool, confirming its reservoir and fluid predicative capability for these primary exploration targets, Kosmos said.

Based on the integration of the Guembeul-1 well results, our Pmean gross resource estimate for the Tortue West structure has increased to 11 Tcf from 8 Tcf as a result of greater reservoir (net to gross) confidence in the Cenomanian, as well as the inclusion of volumes in the Albian. Accordingly, the Pmean gross resource estimate for the Greater Tortue Complex has increased to 17 Tcf from 14 Tcf.

The Atwood Achiever will now proceed to Mauritania to drill the Ahmeyim-2 delineation well in the southern part of Mauritania’s Block C-8 to test the downdip limits of the field, and is expected to complete appraisal of the Tortue West structure.

In addition to the discovery, the Dallas-based company entered into a MOU with Senegal national company Pétroles du Sénégal (Petrosen) and Mauritania national company Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM), that will set out the principles for an intergovernmental cooperation agreement for the development of the cross-border Greater Tortue resource, to work towards to early development of the field.

“We are pleased to have delivered another major discovery with our first exploration well offshore Senegal. Guembeul-1 confirms the presence of a world-class gas resource that extends into both Senegal and Mauritania. With our successful appraisal program and support of both governments, the initial gas development is gaining momentum,” said Andrew G. Inglis, Kosmos chairman and CEO. “The Guembeul-1 well continues our 100% success rate in the outboard Cretaceous petroleum system offshore Senegal and Mauritania, which we believe is a strategically important new oil and gas province and we are focused on unlocking the basin’s full potential.”

Kosmos holds a 60% interest in the Guembeul-1 well, along with Timis Corp. (30%), and Petrosen (10%).