Cameroon: Dana group gets block adjoining Nigeria | Oil & Gas Journal

The Cameroon government has awarded a group led by a unit of Dana Petroleum PLC, Aberdeen, a production sharing contract for the Bakassi West block in the Rio Del Rey basin adjoining the marine border with Nigeria.

The area covers nearly 390 sq km in shallow water. Dana is operator with 55% interest. Madison Cameroon Oil & Gas Ltd., an affiliate of Madison PetroGas, Calgary, has 35%, and SoftRock Oil & Gas Ltd., Douala, has 10%.

Work is to start almost immediately with data gathering and geological studies. Dana plans seismic in 2013 and 2014 and drilling by 2015. The 4-year, $31 million work program involves 250 km of 2D seismic, one commitment well, and one contingent well.

Depending on results, the program could be extended to two further periods of 2 years each. The supplementary periods would include 100 km of 2D seismic and the drilling of at least one exploration well per period. The total minimum investment for all three periods of 8 years’ duration is $71 million.

More in Exploration & Development

Multiclient wide-azimuth survey begin in Campeche, Mexico

A wide-azimuth survey covering 5,080 sq km started in the Salina del Istmo basin in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche, which contractor Schlumberger Ltd. said provides the first 3D coverage over this shallow-water target area, including the Zama-1 discovery.

BLM reports results of eastern states lease sale

The US Bureau of Land Management’s latest quarterly eastern states oil and gas lease sale attracted nearly $1.4 million in competitive bids on 30 of 31 available parcels totaling about 3,031 acres in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Ohio.

Tullow reports oil discovery opens play off Guyana

Tullow Oil PLC reported that a recent oil discovery has opened a new Upper Tertiary oil play in the Guyana basin.

ExxonMobil reports oil discovery offshore Guyana at Tripletail

ExxonMobil Corp. reported making an oil discovery offshore Guyana with the Tripletail-1 well in the Turbot area on the Stabroek block, adding to an estimated recoverable resource of 6 billion boe.

Interior releases final EIS for ANWR coastal plain leasing program

The US Department of the Interior released a final environmental impact statement on Sept. 12 for oil and gas lease sales on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain that was authorized under Section 2001 of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act.

GeoPark preliminarily awarded four blocks in Brazil

GeoPark Ltd. was preliminarily awarded four exploration blocks in the Reconcavo and Potiguar basins in Brazil in the first cycle of the permanent offer held by Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels.

Contract let for Sarta processing facility

A Chevron unit has let a contract to Oilserv for supply of a 20,000-b/d central processing facility for Sarta oil field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, reports Genel Energy. Oilserv will build, install, operate, and maintain the facility under a lease.

Cairn Energy to start drilling offshore Mexico in third quarter

Cairn Energy PLC of Edinburgh said it plans to start drilling offshore Mexico in this year’s third quarter on Block 9, where it holds 50% interest and is the operator.

Talos Energy gets nod for additional exploration offshore Mexico

Talos Energy Inc. received a 2-year contract extension and regulatory approvals for additional exploration activities on Block 7 offshore Mexico in the Sureste basin. Talos operates Block 7. Its partners include Sierra Oil & Gas and Premier Oil PLC.

US gas resource base broke records by yearend 2018, PGC reports

Estimated US gas resources increased to a record 3,374 tcf at yearend 2018, 20% more than 2 years earlier, which represents the largest 2-year increase in the assessment’s 54-year history, the CSM's Potential Gas Committee and the AGA jointly reported.

ANPG discusses frontier offshore blocks

Representatives of the National Agency of Petroleum, Gas, and Biofuels of Angola (ANPG) discussed details of ANPG’s latest exploration and production bid round covering 10 frontier offshore blocks during a road show stop in Houston on Sept. 10.

Alberta okays MEG’s Surmont SAGD project

The Alberta government has approved the development plan for MEG Energy Corp.’s Surmont oil sands project 53 miles south of Fort McMurray. The phased project is to have ultimate production capacity of about 120,000 b/d of bitumen from SAGD.

190906 Cooper Annie Map

Cooper Energy-led JV makes gas discovery offshore Otway

The 50-50 joint venture of Cooper Energy Ltd., Adelaide, and Japanese entity Mitsui E&P Australia has reported a natural gas discovery with the Annie-1 wildcat in permit Vic/P44 in the Victorian section of the offshore Otway basin.

Strike Energy completes gas discovery 'trifecta' at West Erregulla

A 50-50 joint venture led by Strike Energy Ltd. with Warrego Energy Ltd. has confirmed a natural gas discovery in a third reservoir in its West Erregulla-2 well in the onshore North Perth basin of Western Australia.