ExxonMobil discovers hydrocarbons offshore Angola

ExxonMobil discovered hydrocarbons in Block 15, about 365 km northwest off the coast of Luanda, Angola, in 1,100 m of water.
Nov. 9, 2022
2 min read

ExxonMobil discovered hydrocarbons in Block 15, about 365 km northwest off the coast of Luanda, Angola, in 1,100 m of water.

Bavuca South-1, part of the Angola Block 15 redevelopment project, marks the eighteenth discovery in the block and the first in nearly 20 years, the company said in a release Nov. 7. The exploration well, drilled by the Valaris DS-9 rig, encountered 30 m of high-quality, hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone.

The redevelopment project is expected to deliver around 40,000 b/d of oil (OGJ Online, June 15, 2019).

There have been 17 previous discoveries on Block 15: Hungo, Kissanje, Marimba, and Dikanza in 1998; Chocalho and Xikomba in 1999; Mondo, Saxi, and Batuque in 2000; Mbulumbumba, Vicango, and Mavacola in 2001; Reco Reco in 2002; and Clochas, Kakocha, Tchihumba, and Bavuca in 2003 (OGJ Online, June 5, 2000; Dec. 1, 2000; June 4, 2001).

ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Ltd. is operator of Block 15 (36%) with partners BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd. (24%), ENI Angola Exploration BV (18%), Equinor Angola Block 15 AS (12%), and Sonangol P&P (10%). The National Agency for Petroleum, Gasand Biofuels (ANPG) is the Block 15 Concessionaire. In March, bp PLC and Eni SPA agreed to form a new 50-50 independent company, Azule Energy, through the combination of the two companies’ Angolan businesses (OGJ Online, Mar. 11, 2022).

About the Author

Alex Procyk

Upstream Editor

Alex Procyk is Upstream Editor at Oil & Gas Journal. He has also served as a principal technical professional at Halliburton and as a completion engineer at ConocoPhillips. He holds a BS in chemistry (1987) from Kent State University and a PhD in chemistry (1992) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

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