Kamba gas discovery boosts Tanzania LNG

BG Group and Ophir Energy made a gas discovery at Kamba-1 well in Tanzania. 

The Kamba-1 well in Block 4 has resulted in gas discoveries of 1.03TCF in the Kamba and Fulusi prospects. BG operates the Block 4 licence and Ophir holds a 20% interest.

The well was drilled by the Deepsea Metro I drillship in a water depth of 1,379m to a total depth of 3,969m with the twin objectives of intersecting the Paleocene-aged Fulusi prospect (a northern extension of the earlier Pweza discovery) and the primary target of the Cretaceous-aged Kamba prospect.

The Kamba-1 well encountered an 18m gross gas column in the Fulusi prospect and, after sidetracking to test the Kamba prospect, the Kamba-1ST well established another gas column of 140m with high net to gross, good quality, reservoir sands. The well has encountered better quality reservoir sands than prognosed pre-drill and further analysis is expected to confirm discovered volumes somewhat in excess of the pre-drill estimated mean (2C) recoverable resources of 1.03TCF, comprised of 650bcf in Kamba and 380bcf in Fulusi.

The Kamba-1 discovery is the Joint Venture’s 16th consecutive discovery well in Blocks 1, 3 and 4. This discovery, plus recent volume updates on the earlier discoveries, increases Ophir’s estimate of the total Block 1, 3 and 4 mean (2C) recoverable resource to 17.1TCF. The Kamba-1 result provides critical mass for an LNG train to be supplied from the fields in Block 4 and also takes the overall resource volume to the threshold for a future potential third LNG train to be from Blocks 1 and 4.

Nick Cooper, CEO of Ophir Energy said, “The Kamba discovery has now confirmed sufficient aggregate resource in Block 4 to supply one 5MMTPA train of LNG. In combination with the discovered resource in Block 1, the Block 1 and 4 Joint Venture is now close to the threshold resource volumes for three 5MMTPA LNG trains.”

Ophir and Pavilion Energy have committed to move into the next exploration phase on Block 3 as BG Group has decided to withdraw from this exploration block. Ophir has, under the terms of the PSC, applied to enter the next PSC term under which the company will hold an 80% interest and will formally re-assume operatorship from October 2014, while Pavilion Energy will retain 20%.

Press Release, October 2, 2014; Image: BG Group