Eni, a front-runner of Africa’s oil and gas sector, has announced a new oil discovery in Block 15/06, in the Kalimba exploration prospect, in Angola’s deep offshore
The new discovery is estimated to contain between 230 mmbbl and 300 mmbbl of light oil in place.
The Kalimba-1 NFW well, which has led to the discovery, is located at approximately 150km off the coast and 50km South East from the Armada Olombendo FPSO (East Hub). The well was drilled by the West Gemini drillship in a water depth of 458 meters and reached a total depth of 1901 meters.
Kalimba-1 NFW proved a 23 meters net oil pay of high-quality oil contained in Upper Miocene sandstones with excellent petrophysical properties. The data acquired in Kalimba-1 NFW indicate a production capacity in excess of 5,000 bopd.
The discovery opens new opportunities for oil exploration in the Southern part of Block 15/06, so far considered mainly gas prone, thus creating new chances for additional potential value in the block.
Eni is taking a number of initiatives to fasten oil and gas exploration and production activities in Angola where the Italian oil major accounts an equity production of about 155,000 boepd. In Block 15/06 the two oil development projects, West hub and East Hub, are currently producing about 150,000 bopd. Eni is also the operator of Cabinda Norte Block, located onshore Angola.
The next start-ups in block 15/06 this year will be the Upper Miocene, in the East Hub, and the Subsea Boosting System for the Mpungi field, while the Vandumbu field, that will be connected to the West Hub, will start production at the end of 2018, ahead of plan. These start-ups will add further 30,000 barrels of oil to the overall production from Block 15/06, which in 2019 will exceed 170,000 bopd gross.
Angola’s recent surge in developing its oil and gas industry is evident from a number of ongoing initiatives in the country. Recently, the Angolan Oil Company (Somoil) has renewed 300km of crude oil pipeline network in Soyo Municipality, situated in the northern Zaire Province and the French oil major Total and its partners have also taken the final investment decision on an oilfield off the coast of Angola.
