Total has oil find off Congo (Brazzaville)

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 7 -- Total E&P Congo gauged a third deepwater oil discovery in the northern part of the Moho-Bilondo license off Congo (Brazzaville) where it reported two successful exploration wells in 2007.

The Moho Nord Marine-4 well, 75 km offshore in 3,537 ft of water, flowed at the rate of 8,100 b/d on a 52/64-in. choke. It proved a 163-m column of high quality oil in the Albian F formation. TD is 13,907 ft.

Total said the discovery "confirms the existence of significant Albian resources in the northern part of the Moho-Bilondo license, in addition to the already recognized Tertiary and Albian A and B resources."

Total said this and the Mono Nord Marine-1 and 2 finds in 2007 and the positive delineation well Moho Nord Marine-3 in 2008 "reinforce Total's confidence in the emergence of a development pole" in the northern part of the license. Preliminary development studies have begun.

The company started production in the Phase 1 development of Moho-Bilondo field in the southern part of the license in April 2008. It is drilling more wells and building production to an expected plateau of 90,000 b/d of oil equivalent from 14 wells in 2010.

License interests are Total E&P Congo 53.5%, Chevron Overseas Congo Ltd. 31.5%, and Soc. Nationale des Petroles du Congo 15%.

Total noted that it has drilled half of all exploration wells in Congo, begun production on 15 fields covering 9 of the 28 existing permits or concessions, and discovered 65% of initial listed reserves in the country.

It is operator with 53% interest at Nkossa field, where work undertaken since 2005 arrested a decline and stabilized production at 50,000 b/d.

In October 2008, Total began developing Libondo, a satellite of Yanga field, where it is operator with 65% interest.

The company continues to explore the Mer Tres Profonde Sud permit, on which it has made five discoveries. Total is operator with 40% interest.