Seismic operations underway over Total’s block in South Africa

New marine seismic acquisition programs over the Total-operated Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa have started. 

Total is the operator and has a 45% interest in Block 11B/12B, while Qatar Petroleum and Canadian Natural Resources Limited have 25% and 20% interest, respectively. Africa Energy holds 49% of the shares in Main Street 1549 Proprietary Limited, which has a 10% participating interest in the blocks.

In an update on Tuesday, Africa Energy said that the 2D seismic program had started. The 3D seismic survey is expected to begin later this month.

Garrett Soden, Africa Energy’s President and CEO, commented, “Seismic operations will continue through April 2020 alongside the next drilling campaign, which is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2020 with the spud of the Luiperd well. The joint venture plans to keep the rig on Block 11B/12B for almost a year and drill up to three exploration wells. We congratulate the operator, Total, for expediting this ambitious exploration program, and we look forward to rig mobilization in January.”

As previously reported, the first exploration well, the Luiperd-1, is expected to spud with the Odfjell Deepsea Stavanger rig in the first quarter of 2020.

Shearwater GeoServices is acquiring an initial program of 3,650 linear kilometers of 2D seismic using the multi-purpose vessel SW Cook with fast-track processing onboard. The 2D seismic program will attempt to define the lead and prospect inventory of the large under-explored area in Block 11B/12B to the east of the Paddavissie prospects.

Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) is acquiring 2,200 square kilometers of 3D seismic using the PGS Apollo seismic vessel. In this second phase of 3D seismic work on the block, the joint venture plans to cover the remainder of the Paddavissie Fairway to better delineate the prospects and leads identified on the previous 2D and 3D data.

In March and April 2019, Polarcus Limited acquired 570 square kilometers of 3D seismic using the Polarcus Asima vessel. The first phase of 3D seismic covered the Brulpadda discovery and the Luiperd prospect. The joint venture received the preliminary, fast-track 3D results in August 2019, and the fully processed 3D seismic dataset is by January 2020. The preliminary 3D results validated the direct hydrocarbon indicators and thick reservoir development, confirming the large resource potential of the Paddavissie Fairway.

Block 11B/12B is located in the Outeniqua Basin 175 kilometers off the southern coast of South Africa. The block covers an area of approximately 19,000 square kilometers with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 meters. The Paddavissie Fairway in the southwest corner of the block includes the Brulpadda oil and gas discovery, as well as several large submarine fan prospects that have been significantly de-risked by the discovery and subsequent 3D seismic work.

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