The three-well infill drilling campaign at Equatorial Guinea’s offshore Block G – operated by Trident Energy, with partners Panoro, Kosmos Energy and GEPetrol – has started, using the Island Innovator semi-submersible drilling rig.
The first new infill well is expected onstream around the end of the first quarter in 2024, with all three wells expected onstream by mid-year, according to Panoro, which hold 14.25% interest in block G.
Trident Energy is the operator of Block G with a 40.375% working interest while Kosmos Energy holds 40.375% and GEPetrol a 5.0% working interest.
In May 2022, the government of Equatorial Guinea granted an extension of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the offshore Block G until December 31, 2040, covering both the producing Ceiba and Okume Complex Fields.
Following completion of the Block G infill drilling campaign, the Island Drilling’s rig will relocate to Block S where it will drill the Kosmos Energy-operated Akeng Deep infrastructure-led exploration (ILX) well.
The Akeng Deep ILX well is intended to test a play in the Albian, targeting an estimated gross mean resource of approximately 180 million barrels of oil in close proximity to existing infrastructure at Block G, said Panoro, which hold a 12%interest in Block S.
Other partners in Block S are GEPetrol and Trident Energy who are delivering the drilling program on behalf of the joint venture partners.
“We are pleased to have commenced the planned infill drilling campaign at Block G which we expect to materially increase gross production at the Ceiba field and Okume Complex from the 2023 average level of 25,000 bopd once all three new wells are onstream.
“With the high-impact Akeng Deep infrastructure led exploration well at Block S due to follow the infill drilling campaign, and work underway evaluating prospectivity at the Panoro operated Block EG-01, we have an exciting organic growth opportunity set available to us in Equatorial Guinea,” said John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro.
