Trident Energy, the operator of Block G offshore Equatorial Guinea, has on behalf of the joint venture awarded a contract for the Noble Venturer drill ship to start infill drilling at the Ceiba Field and Okume Complex.
This development comes after an initial rig contract for the infill drilling activities proved unfruitful.
The vessel is currently in action offshore Ghana for a long-term drilling campaign which is scheduled to end in May. The rig will then start for Equatorial Guinea to recommence drilling operations In June.
Owing to limitations arising from the shallower water depth at one of the planned infill well locations, the drilling campaign will now comprise of two infill wells.
The third infill well will be deferred as part of a potential future drilling campaign.
Besides Kosmos Energy and GEPetrol, Panoro holds a 14.25% participating interest in Block G.
Drilling contract for Akeng Deep well
The Noble Venturer drill ship has also been contracted to drill the Kosmos Energy operated Akeng Deep infrastructure led exploration (ILX) well in Block S once the two Block G infill wells have been drilled and completed.
The Akeng Deep ILX well is intended to test a play in the Albian, targeting an estimated gross mean resource of 180 mn barrels of oil in close proximity to existing infrastructure at Block G. Panoro holds a 12% interest in Block S. Other partners in Block S are GEPetrol and Trident Energy.
John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro, said, “We are very pleased to have secured the high-specification Noble Venturer drill ship to recommence the infill drilling campaign at Block G and also test the high-impact Akeng Deep ILX prospect at Block S which, if successful, can open a new play fairway with potentially very positive read across to the adjacent Block EG-01 which Panoro operates.”
