VAALCO brings online Southeast Etame development well

VAALCO Energy, Inc., an oil production company, has brought online the Southeast Etame 2-H well, the first development well drilled in the Southeast Etame Field, offshore Gabon. 

According to the company, the well was brought online at the rate of approximately 3,400 barrels of oil per day (approximately 850 barrels per day net to VAALCO).

The well was drilled to a measured depth of approximately 14,012 feet, targeting a new reservoir that was discovered by an exploration well drilled by VAALCO in 2010. It is producing from the Gamba formation which is the source of all other VAALCO production in the Etame Marin permit area but the first production from this new, previously- unproduced field.

Etame 2-H

The company noted that the Etame 2-H well is not producing any formation water or hydrogen sulfide (H2S), has a flowing tubing pressure of 1,080 PSI, and is producing at the lowest setting on the ESP (electrical submersible pump). VAALCO added that the combination of reservoir pressure that is at original conditions, productivity equivalent to or greater than other nearby Gamba development wells and the low setting being utilized on the ESP confirm the strength of this well.

According to its press release, VAALCO plans to continue to produce the well at the current rate to monitor wellhead and downhole pressure and to optimize fluid throughput at the recently commissioned production facilities on the platform.

This is the first well drilled and placed on production at VAALCO’s new Southeast Etame/North Tchibala (SEENT) platform that is located in approximately 260 feet of water offshore Gabon. VAALCO is the operator of the Etame Marin permit area and owns a 28.1% working interest.

The rig

The Transocean Constellation II jack-up rig has been moved to a second slot on the same platform to drill the North Tchibala 1-H well that is targeting the Dentale formation in another previously-unproduced field (North Tchibala), that was discovered and delineated by prior wells but has not been placed on production.

Steve Guidry, VAALCO’s Chairman and CEO commented, “We are very pleased with the results of this first well to the new Southeast Etame field that we discovered in 2010 which have exceeded our expectations.

“While we believe the Etame 2-H well is capable of producing at even stronger rates, we are producing at these levels to optimize production and allow us to gather additional data about the productive capacity and extent of this previously un-tapped reservoir.

Guidry added: “We have already moved the rig and begun drilling the next well at the SEENT platform that will target the new North Tchibala Field and expect to have results from that well by late September.”

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