An ultra- deepwater wildcat in the Laâyoune Basin offshore north-west Africa’s Western Sahara has hit non-commercial quantities of hydrocarbons.
Operator Kosmos Energy confirmed the frontier CB-1 exploration well in the Cap Boujdour permit area did hit hydrocarbons, penetrating approximately 14 m (46 ft) of net gas and condensate pay in clastic reservoirs over a gross hydrocarbon-bearing interval of approximately 500 m (1,640 ft).
The well, which targeted a prospect called Al Khayr, is now being plugged and abandoned by the Atwood Achiever drillship, said Kosmos. The probe was drilled 170 km offshore in 2,135 m (7,005 ft) of water to a total well depth of 5,700 m (18,702 ft).
Andrew G. Inglis, chairman and chief executive officer, said that while it was not a commercial find, the well had “significantly derisked further exploration by demonstrating a working petroleum system, including the presence of a hydrocarbon charge, as well as effective trap and seal”.
The Cap Boujdour block covers 22,000 sq km, over which additional 3-D seismic data was also recently acquired. A second potential well is expected to be drilled possibly later this year. In the meantime the Atwood Achiever drillship will now proceed to Mauritania to test the deepwater Tortue prospect.
Recommended Reading
US Refiners to Face Tighter Heavy Spreads this Summer TPH
2024-04-22 - Tudor, Pickering, Holt and Co. (TPH) expects fairly tight heavy crude discounts in the U.S. this summer and beyond owing to lower imports of Canadian, Mexican and Venezuelan crudes.
What's Affecting Oil Prices This Week? (April 22, 2024)
2024-04-22 - Stratas Advisors predict that despite geopolitical tensions, the oil supply will not be disrupted, even with the U.S. House of Representatives inserting sanctions on Iran’s oil exports.
Association: Monthly Texas Upstream Jobs Show Most Growth in Decade
2024-04-22 - Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the oil and gas industry has added 39,500 upstream jobs in Texas, with take home pay averaging $124,000 in 2023.
Shipping Industry Urges UN to Protect Vessels After Iran Seizure
2024-04-19 - Merchant ships and seafarers are increasingly in peril at sea as attacks escalate in the Middle East.
Paisie: Crude Prices Rising Faster Than Expected
2024-04-19 - Supply cuts by OPEC+, tensions in Ukraine and Gaza drive the increases.