Chad: ERHC exploration authorization finalized

July 18, 2012
ERHC Energy Inc., Houston, said the Republic of Chad has issued the company an exclusive exploration authorization for the Chari-Ouest III, BDS 2008, and Manga blocks in southern Chad covered by ERHC’s production sharing contract.

ERHC Energy Inc., Houston, said the Republic of Chad has issued the company an exclusive exploration authorization for the Chari-Ouest III, BDS 2008, and Manga blocks in southern Chad covered by ERHC’s production sharing contract.

The initial term of the EEA is for 5 years, and it can be renewed for 3 more years. ERHC intends to identify leads and prospect and then drill as soon as circumstances allow.

Initial work will be on BDS 2008 and Chari-Ouest III. ERHC has 100% interest in BDS 2008 and 100% interest in half of Chari-Ouest III. Its holdings in the two blocks, on the north flank of the Doba and Doseo basins, total 5.155 million acres.

Martin Wensrich, ERHC geoscientist and technical advisor, said, “Our analysis of gravity, magnetic and 2D seismic data shows that ERHC’s Chari-Ouest III and BDS 2008 blocks fall within the prolific Doba/Doseo Basin. Our main area of focus extends 260 km and is on trend and east of the 2011 Benoy-1 discovery by Overseas Petroleum Investment Corp. and north of discoveries by Esso.”

ERHC has invited eligible contractors to submit expressions of interest in providing environmental impact assessment, gravity-magnetics, and seismic acquisition services in the focus area.

The OPIC Benoy-1 well drilled a low side fault closure and test flowed oil at a calculated rate of more than 2,000 b/d from lower Cretaceous fluvial/deltaic sands, ERHC said. Esso’s Tega-1 encountered hydrocarbon reserves with an estimated potential of 8 million bbl of oil equivalent in the Lower Cretaceous C sand. The Esso Maku-1 drilled a Lower Cretaceous faulted structure and encountered hydrocarbons with an estimated potential of 21 million boe.