Kosmos Energy's Hippocampe-1 deepwater exploration well in Block C-8 offshore Mauritania was dry.
The well, drilled in 2600m water depth, in partnership with BP, was designed to test Lower Cenomanian and Albian reservoirs charged from the deeper Valanginian – Neocomian source. It was drilled to a total depth of 5500m and "well-developed reservoirs" were encountered in both exploration targets but they were water bearing.
The well will now be plugged and abandoned. It is believed that this prospect failed due to a lack of charge access in this part of the play fairway.
Andrew G. Inglis, chairman and chief executive officer, said: “Following on from our Yaakar discovery earlier this year, Hippocampe-1 is the second of four tests of independent prospects located in the outboard basin floor fan fairways in our Mauritania and Senegal acreage. Although the well did not encounter oil or gas, it has, together with Yaakar, confirmed the presence of quality cretaceous reservoir in the outboard basin floor fans, which contain multiple leads and prospects, more than 200km from the north to south through our blocks. We are still in the early stages of opening this newly emerging basin and our forward drilling program remains unchanged given the independent nature of the prospect tests, in particular with regard to charge.”
The Ensco DS 12 drillship will now move to Block C-12, also offshore Mauritania, to test the independent Lamantin oil prospect.
Lamantin is about 80km offshore and 180km northeast of Hippocampe in 2185m water depth. The prospect comprises Campanian age reservoirs charged from the shallow, immediately underlying, oil prone, oil mature Albian and Cenomanian–Turonian source rocks.
Kosmos holds rights in the C-6, C-8, C-12, C-13, and C-18 contract areas under production sharing contracts with the Government of Mauritania’s Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM). The blocks range in water depth between 100-3000m, and have combined acreage of over 40,000sq km gross. Kosmos is the exploration operator of Block C-8 with 28% equity and is joined by its partners BP (62%) and SMHPM (10%).