Cobalt International Energy Inc. and partners have made an oil and condensate discovery in the syn-rift interval with the Bicuar 1A presalt deepwater exploratory well drilled offshore Angola.
The well was successfully drilled to 5,739 m measured depth and encountered 56 m of net pay from multiple presalt intervals.
Results of an extensive logging, coring, and fluid acquisition program confirmed the existence of both oil and condensate in multiple intervals. No free gas zones or water contacts were observed. All well data was collected with open-hole logging technology.
“The syn-rift discovery in Bicuar validates the presence of a viable seal and trap with quality reservoir rocks in the deeper reservoir section,” said James Farnsworth, Cobalt’s chief exploration officer.
He said, “These characteristics have been present in similar features in the Campos basin of Brazil and will be key to expanding the potential of the broader Angola Kwanza basin presalt.”
This is Cobalt’s and National Concessionaire Sonangol’s fourth deepwater presalt discovery offshore Angola. The Bicuar 1A well is the first discovery of mobile hydrocarbons that have been tested in the deeper presalt syn-rift reservoir. After running production casing, the well was temporarily abandoned.
Following full processing and integration of all subsurface data collected from the well, the Block 21 partners will evaluate any additional activities necessary to assess Bicuar’s commerciality. The Bicuar 1A well was drilled to total depth in just 59 days, ahead of schedule by 63 days.
Cobalt is operator, owning 40% working interest in Block 21. Partners include Sonangol Pesquisa e Producao SA, Nazaki Oil & Gaz, and Alper Oil Ltda.
