UK-based Ophir Energy increased its footprint offshore Gabon by signing exploration and production sharing contracts (PSC) for two additional blocks in the area.
The new blocks, A3 and A4, are located outboard of Ophir's existing acreage in the North Gabon basin. Block A3, the Nkouere PSC, covers an area of 675sq km. Block A4, the Nkawa PSC, covers an area of 2,085sq km. Both blocks cover water depths of between 2000m and 2500m.
With these additions, the company’s total acreage in Gabon is up to 15,470sq km across six blocks.
Ophir is currently acquiring an 8600sq km 3D seismic program on the play in its existing blocks and the 3D acquisition will be enlarged by a further 2300sq km to cover Blocks A3 and A4.
Ophir says its analysis of its 2014 North Gabon drill campaign has enhanced the prospectivity of the deepwater distal margin of the North Gabon basin. In particular the Cretaceous section, where a now-proven oil-prone marine source rock is overlain by a series of deepwater coarse sands. This offers a petroleum system with the potential for large stratigraphic and structural traps.
This frontier play is thus far unexplored in the West Atlantic margins and Ophir is now well positioned to chase the play with an expanded footprint comprised of its existing acreage and the new Nkouere and Nkawa PSCs, says Ophir.
Ophir operates A3 and A4 with a 100% participating interest. The Gabonese State has the right to acquire a 20% interest in the newly awarded Nkouere and Nkawa PSCs on commencement of production, in addition, it can also acquire up to an additional 15% interest at market rates.
"Given our learnings from the 2014 campaign, we are pleased to have secured Nkouere and Nkawa PSCs,” says Nick Cooper, Ophir CEO. “This frontier play is untested in the West Atlantic margins, and Ophir with the award of these blocks, together with our existing North Gabon acreage, is now able to embark in the next phase of Atlantic frontier exploration, offshore Gabon."
Ophir began drilling at its Padouck Deep-1 well on the Ntsina Block, offshore Gabon, using the Vantage Titanium Explorer drillship in February 2014 but by March, found no significant hydrocarbons. The well was targeting the Cretaceous Gamba and Coniquet/Dentale sands in the pre-salt section. Padouck Deep-1 was Ophir’s third well in Gabon. The first two, Franke Noir-1 well, on the Ntsina block, and Ngollon-1 well, on the Manga block, were drilled in late 2008 on post-salt targets. Ophir said, while both were unsuccessful, they improved the understanding of the petroleum system within the blocks.
Map from Ophir.
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