Ophir Moves Back to Exploration in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea

Ophir Energy plc provides an update on its operations in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea.

Ophir Moves Back to Exploration in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea

Successful Mzia-3 flow-test

The Mzia-3 appraisal well in Block 1, Tanzania was completed in November 2013 having successfully encountered gas in the main Lower and Middle sand targets. The well was located approximately 6km to the north of the original Mzia-1 discovery well. As part of the current drilling campaign across Blocks 1, 3 and 4, the Mzia-3 well was side-tracked and a Drill Stem Test (DST) has now been successfully completed. The well flowed slightly ahead of expectations at an average controlled rate of 90mmcfd for 6 days with peak flow of 101mmcfd, constrained by equipment limits. The data acquired from the DST and cores from the Mzia-3ST1 well will be incorporated into planning of the production wells as part of development of the field.

The Deepsea Metro I drillship will now move to Block 4 to drill the Kamba-1 exploration well which will also target the shallower Pweza North structure.

Equatorial Guinea drilling update

The Tonel North-1 appraisal well has been completed on Block R, Equatorial Guinea. The Tonel North-1 well was drilled approximately 5km north-east of the original Tonel-1 discovery well. The well encountered gas pay combined in the lower target sands but the upper sands appear to be low gas-saturation. Analysis of the well data is ongoing. The result is expected to marginally reduce the discovered volumes in the Tonel field but will not impact the commerciality of the base case 2.5mmtpa FLNG project.

The Vantage Titanium Explorer drillship has now moved to complete the Silenus East-1 exploration well which is targeting ca.420bcf of low-risk mean prospective gas resource as a primary target and will be deepened to test a secondary, high-impact but high-risk oil target that on current mapping could be a potentially extensive play across the Block. The top hole of Silenus has already been previously drilled and the well is expected to complete within two weeks. There are several analogous shallow gas prospects to Silenus East in the Thrust Belt play sharing the same Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators. If successful, the well would de-risk ca.1.2TCF of upside (including Silenus East volumes) in the immediate area that could provide an additional production hub for the FLNG development.

Nick Cooper, CEO, commented:

“The Mzia-3 flow-test is another positive result on what will be a core asset in our Tanzanian LNG development. Momentum continues to build on that project with pre-FEED contracts awarded on both the Midstream and Upstream portions of the development.

“The Tonel North-1 result has slightly reduced the size of the Tonel field but this remains a commercial asset within the overall 2.5mmtpa Floating LNG project. The project still has the potential to be expanded to 3.0mmtpa once the current three well programme has completed and results analysed. We are now completing the Silenus East-1 exploration well, with results expected imminently.

“After a period of appraisal activity, Ophir now moves back to exploration, with two wells drilling simultaneously in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, results from both of which are expected before the end of September.”

Press Release, August 27, 2014