SOCO International PLC gauged less than hoped for oil rates at the Lideka East Marine-1 well on a postsalt structure updip from its Lideka Marine-1 well that found shows of oil in the Sendji iS3 formation on the shallow-water Marine XI block offshore Congo (Brazzaville).
Lideka East Marine-1 encountered 50 m of net pay section in the Upper and Lower Sendji, of which 30 m of net pay are in the targeted iS3 and S4 horizons.
SOCO tested the well over a 20-m interval in the iS3 and S4 horizons. It flowed 30-35° gravity oil at a sustained 350 b/d with 1% BS&W, in line with predictions from the petrophysical analysis. Produced gas volumes were very low.
The well was drilled on the crest of the structure to identify the length of the oil column. The Sendji is known to be a heterogeneous reservoir, and detailed rock physics and inversion models will need to be used to determine where the best porosity zones are situated, SOCO said. The oil-water contact was not well defined in the exploration well, and an “oil down to” shale barrier could present upside.
Further work will be conducted to establish viable opportunities on this field, SOCO said. However, the company said the results are in line with that seen in regional analogs such as Yombo and Sendji fields.
“The sharply contrasting reservoir characteristics within these fields are indicative of changes that could be present at our Lideka discovery. Additional interpretive work will help to establish the location of potential higher productive areas in Lideka and assist in our evaluation towards commerciality.”
SOCO is operator with 40.39% interest, Raffia Oil has 26.11%, SNPC 15%, AOGC 10%, and Petrovietnam 8.5%.