Petroleum Africa
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Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Ophir Energy is in the midst of preparations for a drilling program in West Africa, and toward that end has secured a deepwater drillship for its program in 2014. A total of six firm, plus additional contingent slots have been agreed to.
The first well is schedule to spud in Gabon in early-February with an exploration well on the Ntsina Blocks’s Padouck Deep Prospect. The second well is likely to be drilling on the Gnondo Block’s Affanga Deep Prospect, and the third is likely to be the pre-salt Okala Prospect on the Mbeli Block.
The company also reported that it has exited its Marine IX block in the Republic of Congo. The company also reported that it has informed the government of Madagascar that it intends to relinquish operatorship of the Marovoay Block (2012). Ophir also reduced its stakes in Somaliland through a farm-down on the Berbera Blocks SL9 and SL12 from 75% to 25% in return for a carry of the company’s remaining 25% share in a planned seismic program.
Nick Cooper, Ophir’s CEO commented “We are pleased to have secured a rig that enables our 2014 West African drilling program to commence in early February. This program will run in parallel with our ongoing drilling activities in East Africa using the Deepsea Metro I drillship and means we now have confirmed rig slots secured for our next twelve months of drilling, targeting prospects with unrisked potential that is a multiple of our discovered resource base. We have also continued to rationalize the portfolio to focus resources on our core, material assets; recently exiting or scaling back our positions in Congo, Madagascar and Somaliland.”
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