Geoff Bury, managing director of Wentworth Resources, gave an upbeat presentation at the Africa Independents Forum last week in regard to the company’s gas prospects in Mozambique and Tanzania
It is estimated that the two countries have more than 200tcf of recoverable gas. Wentworth Resource’s Mozambican gas interests are mainly onshore in the country’s north-east, bordering the Rovuma River and extending into the Indian Ocean. There is also a concession area west of and adjacent to Anadarko’s Offshore Area 1, which as estimated resources of 45-70tcf. Four wells have been drilled to date with oil and gas shows in Mocimboa-1, tertiary gas shows in Mecupa-1, gas and condensate shows in Tembo-1, and no economic reservoir found in Kifaru-1. Appraisal began last year, including reprocessing of extensive seismic data.
The Tembo-1 well is considered to be the company’s landmark well. It was drilled to a total depth of 4,553m into Upper Jurassic rocks and natural gas and some condensate was recovered.
“A high impact appraisal is underway that will result in proving up significant resources … [there is] potential for commercial development of oil and gas, and there is sufficient running room to fully appraise the Tembo discovery,” Bury told the conference. “Drilling of an appraisal well is anticipated for 2018.”
Looking ahead, Bury said that large scale LNG, GTL and petrochemical refineries are part of the plan for when gas comes onstream in Mozambique, describing the East African country as “the place to be and Wentworth is already there.”
In Tanzania, Wentworth Resources has coastal interests, on and offshore, in south-eastern Tanzania between the Ruvuma and Offshore Block 1 concessions. In 2014, the company signed a gas sales agreement with partners in Mnazi Bay to deliver up to 130mmcf/day of natural gas from the Mnazi Bay concession to a government-owned transnational pipeline. First gas was delivered in October 2015.
