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Friday, August 29, 2014
Soco International spud its Lidongo X Marine-101 (LXM-101) on the Marine XI Block offshore the Republic of Congo (RoC) on August 5. The LXM-1 well is designed to test the extension of an adjacent gas/condensate/oil field into the Marine XI license Block. The LXM-101 well is located 23 km north west of Pointe Noire in a water depth of approximately 45 meters.
The planned total depth for the well is provisionally estimated to be 2,600 meters, although the company has taken provisions to continue drilling to a maximum depth of circa 3,100 meters, terminating in the lower most part of the Djeno sandstone formation if need be. The well is currently preparing to drill ahead after setting 13-3/8 inch casing, and the drilling is expected to be completed in mid-late September.
On its Nanga II A Block in the RoC the company received approval from the Congolese Ministry of Hydrocarbons for an extension to the prospection authorization through mid-October 2014. The company is evaluating various options and will make a decision shortly on proceeding into negotiations for a PSA.
The company’s farm in to acquire a 60% Mer Profonde Sud (MPS) permit has been completed following government approval of the commencement of the relevant two-year license period from June 1. The partners have now commenced a detailed well location study and would look to drill in mid-2015.
In neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Block V Soco saw the lake bed seismic survey on Lake Edward completed in July. The acquired data will now be processed and interpreted. Work is ongoing to withdraw all the equipment and services used during the survey from the area under the supervision of the environmental authorities. Part of Block V overlaps a portion of Virunga National Park, and June 11 Soco announced that WWF and the company had agreed the way forward on the company’s future activity. Soco committed, that, in the absence of an agreement between the DRC and UNESCO, it will not progress its operations in Virunga National Park.
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