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Dominion Petroleum’s deepwater 3D seismic survey is under way on Tanzania’s block 7.p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Dominion Petroleum’s deepwater 3D seismic survey is under way on Tanzania’s block 7.

The 1,000 sq km survey is designed to support amplitude variations with offset (AVO) studies down to the deepest objectives (Cretaceous/Jurassic Channel/Fan). The programme should take two months to acquire and another two to three months to process, interpret, and analyse.


Dominion says initial AVO work on existing 2D seismic data identified numerous positive indications and is the driver behind the current 3D survey. Results should help to firm the assessment of prospective volumes and improve chances of drilling success for the Alpha prospect and all others mapped within, and adjacent to, the survey area.
A competent persons report by Energy Resource Consultants (ERC) assesses Alpha’s mean prospective resource at 1.1Bbbl in the event of an oil discovery, and 7 tcf as the gas case. ERC has put the chances of success at 12 per cent.


Since this report was initiated exploration drilling in deepwater East Africa has proven some elements of the Alpha play concept. Both the pre-Tertiary (i.e. Cretaceous) and the oil potential of the East African margin as a whole have been de-risked.


The current drilling in the area will be watched closely by Dominion and factored into its analyses of block 7 as, and when, more information becomes available.