By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 21 -- Vaalco Energy Inc., Houston, reported the Avouma exploration well Eavom-1, on the Etame permit 10.5 miles from Etame field off Gabon, flowed on test at a stabilized rate of 6,600 b/d of oil of 37-38° crude (OGJ Online, July 12, 2004). Flow was through a 40/64-in. choke at 746 psi from 20 ft of perforations in the Gamba sandstone section.
After additional diagnoses of a lower interval, the well will be temporarily abandoned. Vaalco will then return to the Etame 5H development well in Etame field to drill a 2,000 ft, horizontal gravel-packed lateral in the Gamba sandstone to complete that well, which was temporarily suspended last month while flowlines were run to tie the well back to the Etame floating production, storage, and offloading system.
Etame 5H production, to begin later this month, will increase total production from Etame field to more than 20,000 b/d of oil from the current 15,000 b/d. The field has produced 9.8 million bbl of oil since production began September 2002.
The partners also plan to drill additional development well Etame-6H in the main Etame pool and said they would submit a development plan for Etame, Avouma, and Ebouri fields to the Gabon government by yearend (OGJ Online, Jan. 22, 2004).
Vaalco holds a 28.07% working interest in Avouma field. Partners are Pan-Ocean 31.36%; Sasol Petroleum International (Pty.) Ltd., Johannesburg, 27.75%; Sojitz Etame Ltd. 2.98%, PetroEnergy Resources Corp. 2.34%, and Dublin-based Tullow Oil PLC, Houston 7.5%.
