Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Jan. 30 -- BP PLC and its partners made a 12th oil discovery, Terra, on Angola deepwater Block 31. BP, the operator, drilled the well using GlobalSantaFe's Jack Ryan ultradeepwater drillship to 6,118 m TVD. The well flowed more than 5,000 b/d of oil on test.
This is the third discovery on Block 31 where the exploration well was drilled through salt to access the oil-bearing reservoir beneath.
Block 31 covers 5,349 sq km and is 411 km northwest of Luanda in 1,500-2,500 m of water. The Terra discovery is 30 km northwest of the recently announced Titania discovery (OGJ, Nov. 6, 2006, Newsletter).
Other finds on Block 31 include Urano, Plutão, Saturno, Marte, Venus, Palas, Ceres, Juno, Astraea, and Hebe.
Sonangol is the concessionaire of Block 31. BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. holds 26.67% and its partners are Esso Exploration & Production Angola (Block 31) Ltd. 25%, Sonangol EP 20%, Statoil Angola AS 13.33%, Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Ltd. 10%, and Tepa (Block 31) Ltd., a subsidiary of Total SA, 5%.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
