Ophir Energy announced that partner and operator BG Group made a new gas discovery in Block 1, located in the Mafia Deep basin off Tanzania. The Taachui-1 well’s net pay amounted to 155m, with estimates for the mean recoverable resource placed at 1Tcf.
Deepsea Metro I drilled the Taachui-1 well, located near the block’s western boundary. The well was then subsequently sidetracked for operational reasons. The Taachui-1 ST1 well was drilled to 4215m total depth, and a single column of 289m of gas was encountered within the targeted Cretaceous reservoir interval.
Due to the size of the gas column, Ophir said the discovery could be extended into a similarly-sized second compartment to the west. “An appraisal well will be required to confirm this upside and is under consideration by the joint venture partners,” the company said.
The next immediate step is drill stem testing on Taachui, with results expected in the coming weeks.
Following BG Group’s successful drilling campaign in the Mzia discovery in December 2013, the British co-venturers raised the total recoverable estimates contained in their joint blocks 1, 3, and 4 off the Rovuma and Rufiji Deltas to 15Tcf (from 13Tcf).
Presence in Tanzania
Both BG Group and Ophir are considered as some of Tanzania’s bigger players, with BG having been present in the country since 2010. In February, Statoil and BG Group announced their intent to build the country’s first LNG plant in Lindi. Ophir said that the estimated 15Tcf of reserves is sufficient for a two-train LNG development, with future, successful discoveries potentially providing support for a third. Ten wells are expected to be drilled within blocks 1, 3, and 4 by YE2014.
Owned through a co-venture between Odfjell Drilling and Metrostar, the ultra-deepwater drillship Deepsea Metro I was leased to the Ophir-BG Group joint venture in December 2011, just months after its June delivery from Hyundai Heavy Industries. It has been utilized exclusively in Tanzania since that time. In May 2013, Ophir renewed the contract for a period of 540 days from June 2013, with an option for an 18 month extension.
Blocks 1, 3, and 4 are in water depths ranging from 100-3000m. BG Group holds the operatorship and a 60% stake in these three blocks. Ophir holds the remaining 20%. Ophir was originally awarded sole ownership of the blocks between 2005 and 2006, eventually farming down to BG Group in May 2010.
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