Australia-based Invictus Energy, which is conducting a high-impact exploration programme in the Cabora Bassa Basin in northern Zimbabwe, one of the last untested large frontier rift basins in onshore Africa, has reported promising results from its Mukuyu-2 sidetrack well in the Lower Angwa formation
Drilling at the Mukuyu well commenced in September, with evaluation results continuing to reaffirm the presence of moveable hydrocarbons. On 7 December, Invictus declared a gas discovery from the Mukuyu-2 sidetrack well in the Upper Angwa formation, which it said represents “one of the most significant developments in the onshore Southern Africa oil and gas industry for decades.” The company added the discovery also bodes well for other prospects and leads in the remainder of its large acreage position in the Cabora Bassa Basin. The discovery was made following the recovery of hydrocarbons to surface and completion of intermediate wireline logging.
Since then, controlled drilling of the sidetrack well recommenced in the 8½” hole section and the well has reached 3,360 metres Measured Depth (mMD) where Total Depth (TD) was called in the Lower Angwa formation.
Multiple zones were encountered in the Lower Angwa with strong gas shows and fluorescence observed with marked increases from C1 to C5 compounds (methane, ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes) consistent with the Mukuyu-2 original wellbore where hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs are interpreted from wireline logging in the original Mukuyu-2 wellbore.
Following the conditioning of the wellbore for logging, the current operation is preparing to run in hole to commence wireline logging operations.
The Mukuyu-2 sidetrack well will undergo a comprehensive suite of wireline logging including formation testing and sampling, sidewall cores and a vertical seismic profile with final results to be provided.
The completion of the sidetrack will also allow for the well to be suspended for future flow testing through running the 7-inch liner over this interval and retain the ability to drill, evaluate and test the remaining portion of the Lower Angwa in 6-inch hole in future operations where over pressured gas bearing reservoirs were encountered in the original Mukuyu-2 wellbore.
Invictus Energy is operator at Cabora Bassa with 80% interest.
