Maersk Oil has hit more oil in a deepwater concession offshore Angola, with the company and its partners planning to carry out further appraisal and evaluation work.

The Danish explorer’s Maersk Oil Angola A/S, together with concessionaire Sonangol E.P. and partners Sonangol P&P and Odebrecht Oil and Gas Angola Ltd., said it had successfully completed drilling the Caporolo-1 wildcat in the Lower Congo basin with positive results. Caporolo-1 is a step-out exploration well on a separate structure adjacent to, and not part of, the existing Chissonga discovery in Block 16.

A production test was conducted, which flowed at a maximum rate of 3,000 b/d of oil on a 36/64” choke size.
The well was drilled in the western sector of Block 16, around 13 km (8 miles) from the company’s Chissonga discovery and 300 km (186 miles) northwest of Luanda. The probe was drilled in 1,235 m (4,052 ft) of water to a total depth of 5,508 m (18,072 ft) using the Pride South Pacific semisubmersible rig.

“We are encouraged by yet another success on Block 16. This is a result of our continued commitment to Angola and a further step towards our goal of building up a significant business in the country,” said Anders Damgaard, managing director of Maersk Oil in Angola. “The successful results of the Caporolo-1 well warrants additional appraisal and substantial evaluation to determine whether the discovery is large enough to eventually develop.”

Maersk says it will continue exploration work in the block based on the results. Sonangol E.P. is the concessionaire of Block 16. Maersk is the operator with a 65% interest, with its partners being Odebrecht Oil and Gas Angola Ltd. (15%) and Sonangol P&P (20%).