BG Group successfully completed a drill-stem test in the Pweza gas field in block 4 off southern Tanzania.
The Pweza-3 appraisal was drilled approximately 2km north of the original Pweza discovery well by the Deepsea Metro-1 drillship in 1400m of water, 70km off the coast.
The well encountered 61m of gross pay on prognosis. A drill stem test was performed, achieving an equipment constrained flow-rate of 57MMscf/d of gas with minimal drawdown and no observable depletion after five days of flow, BG's partner Ophir Energy confirmed. It is thought that the unconstrained flow-rate is in excess of 150MMscf/d.
The test showed that the tertiary reservoirs in block 4 have similar characteristics to those in block 1. This result is expected to dramatically reduce the number of development wells required in block 4, Ophir said.
BG Group Chief Executive Chris Finlayson said: “Our acreage in Block 4 around the Pweza, Chewa and Ngisi discoveries is now fully appraised and tested, with resources in the order of 4Tcf of natural gas. The work done demonstrates the excellent quality of these fields and that they can be developed as a northern production hub to feed a potential LNG export project.”
The Deepsea Metro-1 drillship will now move south to block 1 where it will drill a further appraisal well on the Mzia discovery. The Mzia-3 well is designed to confirm current resource estimates and target potential upside in the Middle Sand package encountered in the Mzia-1 discovery well, Ophir said. The company now expects to speed up the development of its Mlinzi prospect.
"The efficient completion of the Pweza program will accelerate our high impact Mlinzi Mbali-1 well, which is targeting mean recoverable prospective resources of c.10 TCF and is now expected to spud in the second half of November,” said Nick Cooper, CEO, of Ophir.
BG Group operates Tanzania offshore blocks 1, 3 and 4 with 60% interest. Its partner, Ophir Energy holds the remaining 40%.
The partners said they are now evaluating 3-D seismic survey data to help identify offshore targets for a new exploration program in 2014.
Image: Deepsea Metro
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