Cairn outlines timetable for Senegal development

Oil company Cairn Energy has unveiled its timetable for the development of the SNE oilfield offshore Senegal, which includes development concept selection in 2017 and first oil between 2021 and 2023. 

Cairn and its JV partners submitted a three-year evaluation work plan to the Government of Senegal in 2015.

As part of this plan, the company currently anticipates an outline timetable for development with an Exploitation Plan to be submitted in 2018, a Final Investment Decision (FID) within twelve months thereafter and first oil expected in the period 2021-2023.

Cairn, as the operator, has a 40% working interest in the three blocks offshore Senegal (Sangomar Deep, Sangomar Offshore, Rufisque Offshore) alongside partners: Woodside 35% WI, Far Ltd 15% WI, and the Senegal National Oil Company, Petrosen 10% WI. Woodside entered the JV in 2016 after buying the stake in offshore blocks from ConocoPhillips.

This year will see progression of an ongoing exploration and appraisal drilling program in Senegal against a backdrop of increased financial flexibility.

In 2017, the third phase of evaluation is underway which is intended to improve the definition of the project and confirm volumes, connectivity and productivity.  Operations and testing of the first of the appraisal wells, SNE-5, have recently been completed, ahead of schedule and under budget. The well has been plugged and abandoned and the Stena DrillMAX has moved location to start operations on the Vega-Regulus (VR-1) well. VR-1 will target the Vega- Regulus exploration prospect in the Aptian Carbonates underlying the SNE field which has potential gross mean consolidated prospective resource of more than 100 mmbbls.

In addition, the well will provide further appraisal on the SNE field targeting potential incremental resources. The results will narrow the range of SNE field volumes and also allow the JV time to fully integrate the results of SNE-5 prior to moving to appraisal well SNE-6 to complete the planned interference test.

The JV has endorsed the foundation development concept of a standalone FPSO with subsea wells and expansion capability. The potential around SNE for further exploration success would transform the project into a multi-phase development.

The focus of the remaining appraisal activity is on improving estimates of the scale and phasing of the overall field development including the balance between the number of drilling centers, type and number of wells and the subsea infrastructure.

Offshore Energy Today Staff