Cairn Energy PLC’s SNE-4 well, drilled 85 km offshore Senegal on the Sangomar Offshore block in 942 m of water, confirms the extension of reservoirs in the eastern extent of SNE field, more than 5 km to the east and down-dip of SNE-3 (OGJ Online, Mar. 9, 2016). SNE-4 reached TD of 2,944 m and encountered oil-bearing upper reservoir sands similar to those encountered as gas-bearing elsewhere in SNE field, the company said.
The uppermost gas sands encountered in SNE-3 and BEL-1 (OGJ Online, Apr. 11, 2016) were also present and gas-bearing in SNE-4. The newest venture marks the sixth well Cairn and it JV partners have drilled offshore Senegal, and the fourth well to be drilled this year. The SNE-4 encountered a gross oil column of about 100 m similar to SNE-1, SNE-2, SNE-3, and BEL-1. Initial indications confirm 32° gravity oil seen across the field, confirmed by 108 m of continuous core taken across the oil-bearing reservoir interval, the company said.
SNE field was discovered in 2014, and Cairn’s latest appraisal well further confirms the eastern extent of the field.
The Ocean Rig Athena drillship will now be demobilized and the fourth well has been plugged while the JV continues work on its data collected during this drilling campaign, including two drillstem tests and more than 600 m of core.
Cairn has a 40% working interest in three blocks offshore Senegal (Sangomar Deep, Sangomar Offshore, and Rufisque), ConocoPhillips has 35%, FAR Ltd 15%, and Senegal state-owned Petrosen 10%.
Contact Tayvis Dunnahoe at [email protected].
