ExxonMobil has completed drilling the research well Likemboe-01 in Block 15, offshore Angola. High-quality sand packages containing hydrocarbons were identified, according to a May 13 release by Angola’s National Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANPG).
The well—drilled sometime between February and April—lies at a water depth of 1,200 m, having crossed reservoirs of Miocene age and reaching a final depth of 3,013 m, within the Kizomba B development area, ANPG said.
The research well is the first drilled within the scope of the preliminary agreements of the Incremental Production project, a strategy that aims to “maximize the recovery of hydrocarbons in the oil concessions in production, located in the maritime zone of Angola, which involves adding new oil and expanding the economic attractiveness of new projects in mature fields and areas not yet developed,” according to a separate ANPG release.
In November 2022, ExxonMobil made its eighteenth discovery in the block, which about 365 km northwest off the coast of Luanda, in 1,100 m of water (OGJ Online, Nov. 9, 2022).
ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration Angola Ltd. is operator of the block. Partners are Azule Energy, Equinor AS, and Sonangol.