Afentra has confirmed that Sonangol’s Pacassa SW well has extended the producing Pacassa Field offshore Angola. The partners estimate up to 70 MMbbl of recoverable oil, which they could develop using the field’s existing infrastructure, according to an operations update from Afentra Plc.
Sonangol Pesquisa & Produção operates Block 3/05, alongside Afentra, MAUREA and other partners. The mature shallow-water block has produced oil for decades from several Pinda carbonate reservoirs and remains a target for redevelopment and infill drilling.
The well reached a measured depth of 5,381 meters and encountered an oil-bearing section in the fractured Albian Pinda carbonate formation.
Wireline logging and oil sample analysis identified a 217-meter hydrocarbon-bearing interval, including an estimated 136 meters of net oil pay across good-quality and fractured reservoir sections.
Afentra said the initial pressure data indicate limited pressure depletion and confirm that the new accumulation connects to the main Pacassa Field. Further evaluation and production results will determine whether the estimated 70 MMbbl of recoverable resources can be fully confirmed.
The pressure data also suggest that the new accumulation connects to the existing Pacassa production system. This could allow Sonangol and its partners to develop the discovery through a lower-cost tieback instead of building separate infrastructure.
Angola’s operators are increasingly targeting near-field discoveries and brownfield developments to slow production declines from its long-producing offshore assets.
The well is now being completed as an oil producer and will connect to the existing Pacassa production infrastructure. The rig will then move to the Impala-2 development well in the same block. Drilling should take about 80 days, with the well expected to start at around 4,000 bbl/d if successful.
The discovery supports Angola’s efforts to extend the life of mature offshore fields by exploring nearby prospects, improving existing wells, and using available infrastructure to bring new oil production online faster.
source: www.offshore-mag.com
African Energy Council