London-listed independent Aminex has signalled its intent to go after new deepwater potential offshore Tanzania on its Nyuni license area where it is obliged to drill a well by November next year.

Aminex whose board includes an executive who was previously with Cove Energy, has an obligation to drill on the Nyuni PSC before November 2015 as part of the license obligation.

But first it needs to find a partner to help with its stated intention to focus on the deepwater portion of the Nyuni Production Sharing Area, which has water depths ranging from shallow to well beyond 300 m (1,000 ft).

Following a detailed technical review Aminex, which operates the Nyuni PSA with 70%, indicates that it has already applied to the Tanzanian Petroleum authority, TPDC, to change the work program on the block allowing it to focus on the deepwater portion of the acreage. This means obtaining a permit to change a shallow water seismic acquisition program planned for this year into a deepwater 3-D survey in the outer area of the acreage, beyond the continental shelf, where the company says it has identified a large potential prospect.

“This is analogous to some of the recent major deepwater discoveries in the vicinity,” Aminex states, adding that the newly proposed program will not happen until a suitable vessel is in the area. “The company is unlikely to drill an expensive deepwater well in the Nyuni Area in the foreseeable future without introducing a larger company as a farm-in partner.”

Aminex has recently undergone significant change with an agreement to sell its US onshore assets, and raised new cash. It has also appointed new board members, including Bernard André, now the company’s exploration manager. André previously worked with Cove Energy in the Rovuma Basin, on adjacent world class deepwater gas discoveries.

Offshore