Africa Energy, an oil and gas company with exploration assets offshore South Africa, has announced that the Odfjell Deepsea Stavanger semi-submersible rig has left Bergen, Norway for South Africa to start the upcoming Block 11B/12B multi-well drilling programme
Garrett Soden, Africa Energy's president and CEO, commented, “We are excited to begin the next phase of exploration drilling on Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa.
“The Odfjell rig is mobilising from Norway to South Africa in order to spud the Luiperd-1 well by September. Luiperd is the largest prospect in the Paddavissie Fairway and has been de-risked by the nearby Brulpadda discovery and subsequent 3D seismic work.”
In February 2019 Deepsea Stavanger drilled the Brulpadda oil and gas discovery basin opening at Block 11B/12B. Block 11B/12B is 175 km away from South Africa’s southern coast, in the Outeniqua Basin. The block covers an area of about 19,000 sq. km with depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 m of water.
The Paddavissie Fairway in the block’s southwest corner includes the discovery of Brulpadda, as well as several large submarine fan prospects that were significantly de-risked by the discovery and subsequent seismic 3D acquisition.
Africa Energy holds 49 per cent of the shares in Main Street 1549 Proprietary Limited, which has a 10 per cent participating interest in Block 11B/12B. Total E&P South Africa B.V. is operator and has a 45 per cent participating interest in Block 11B/12B, while Qatar Petroleum International Upstream LLC and CNR International (South Africa) Limited have 25 per cent and 20 per cent participating interests, respectively, in Block 11B/12B.
