UK independent Tullow Oil’s latest wildcat in Ghana’s deep waters has struck oil and gas-condensate in a reservoir separate from its nearby TEN field complex, which is currently in the bidding phase for development via an FPSO vessel.
The operator said the Wawa-1 exploration well in the Deepwater Tano license intersected oil and gas-condensate in a Turonian turbidite channel system. The well hit 20 m (66 ft) of gas-condensate pay and 13 m (43 ft) of oil pay in turbidite sands. Samples show the oil to be good quality between 38 and 44 degrees API, it added.
The Wawa-1 probe was drilled 10 km (6 miles) north of the Enyenra-3A well, testing the previously undrilled, updip portion of the license. Pressure data shows that it is a separate accumulation from the TEN (Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme) field complex. The well will now be suspended for possible future use in appraisal and development operations.
The Atwood Hunter semisubmersible rig drilled the well to a total depth of 3,322 m (10,899 ft) in a water depth of 587 m (1,926 ft).
Tullow (49.95%) is the operator of the Deepwater Tano license, with its partners being Kosmos Energy (18%), Anadarko Petroleum (18%), Sabre (4.05%) and the Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC) (10% carried interest).
Angus McCoss, Tullow’s exploration director, said: “Wawa-1 was the first of three important remaining exploration wells to be drilled in the second half of 2012, to close out the exploration phase of the Deepwater Tano License. It found light oil and gas condensate, trapped separately from TEN and demonstrates once again that liquid-rich hydrocarbons are pervasive in this prospective license. We look forward to the drilling of Okure and Sapele in the second half of 2012.”
Partner Anadarko’s senior vice president, international and deepwater exploration, Bob Daniels, said the discovery “enhances the value of the TEN complex, which is advancing toward submission of a plan of development. The partnership plans further exploration of the Deepwater Tano Block with additional wells scheduled at our Okure and Sapele prospects later this year.”
