Multi-well plan emerges from BW Energy’s ‘drilling success’ off Gabon

Oslo-listed oil and gas E&P player BW Energy has drilled a second appraisal well, confirming the potential of the oil discovery at a field in the Dussafu license off the coast of Gabon, Africa.

As stated by Panoro Energy, BW Energy’s partner in the field, the second appraisal sidetrack well DBM-1 ST2 drilled at the Bourdon prospect offshore Gabon has encountered oil in the Gamba formation.

The appraisal well was drilled with the Borr Norve jack-up drilling rig to a total depth of 4,731 metres, reportedly encountering approximately 11 meters of net oil pay in a gross column of approximately 35 meters in the Gamba reservoir formation. 

Panoro CEO John Hamilton said: “Our latest drilling success at Bourdon has confirmed the exciting possibility for the partners to establish a new development hub incorporating Bourdon and other nearby prospects, as we have done already at the Tortue and Hibiscus/Ruche fields. 

“Our belief that Dussafu is a highly attractive block on which to further explore for oil is reinforced, and with a large inventory of as yet undrilled prospects and leads there is tremendous headroom to unlock further substantial organic reserve and production upside for many years to come.”

Based on preliminary analysis, the Bourdon discovery is estimated to hold around 56 million barrels of oil in place of which approximately 25 million barrels are considered recoverable. When the oil discovery was announced in early March, BW described it as substantial with good reservoir quality.

According to BW Energy, initial data indicate that oil from the Bourdon field has the lowest viscosity of the Dussafu discoveries, measuring an average of 3.5 centipoise (cp), compared to 5 cp and 7 cp for the Hibiscus/Tortue and Ruche fields, respectively.

The Bourdon prospect forms part of the Hibiscus/Ruche development project and is located approximately 15 kilometers west of the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit BW Adolo near the Tortue field.

It is also situated 7.5 kilometers southeast of the MaBoMo offshore production facility, which is a repurposed jack-up drilling rig BW obtained under a sale and lease back agreement last April. 

“The appraisal well confirms the potential for establishing a new development cluster with a production facility following the MaBoMo blueprint. We expect at least four producing wells,” said Carl K. Arnet, CEO of BW Energy. “We continue to successfully expand the Dussafu reserve base which, together with multiple additional prospects yet to be to be drilled, will support long-term production and value-creation in Gabon.”

The Oslo-listed player is the block’s operator and holds a 73.5% interest, with Panoro Energy and Gabon Oil Company as partners, holding 17.5% and 9% interests, respectively.

Earlier this month, BW Energy disclosed the final investment decision (FID) for the Golfinho Boost project to increase uptime, reduce operating expenses, and add approximately 3,000 barrels per day of incremental oil production from 2027 at the Golfinho field offshore Brazil.