Ivory Coast, Ghana gas, power projects advance

How Work is Proceeding off Ivory Coast [35856 bytes]

Operators are moving ahead with projects that signal big advances in West Africa's gas pipeline and power generation infrastructure.

United Meridian Corp., Houston, is pressing exploration and development activity off Ivory Coast in the Gulf of Guinea.

Units of Hunt Oil Co., Dallas, are preparing for E&P activity in the Tano and Saltpond basins off Ghana (OGJ, Mar. 10, 1997, p. 38). Ghana National Petroleum Corp. received World Bank loan commitments for $300 million to develop Tano oil and gas fields (OGJ, Dec. 9, 1996, p. 36).

Chevron signed a letter of intent to supply Nigerian natural gas to Ghana via Benin and Togo. The gas would be piped from the Escravos area of Nigeria, where it will sharply cut flaring, to the Volta River Authority's Takoradi thermal power generation plant under construction in southwestern Ghana (OGJ, Mar. 3, 1997, p. 41).

CMS Energy Corp., Detroit, last fall formed a joint venture with Volta River Authority to develop and manage a series of West African energy infrastructure projects. The first of those is the 300 MW, oil and gas fueled Takoradi plant, set for start-up in third quarter 1997.

The joint venture also was to pursue feasibility of developing the 400 MW Bui hydroelectric plant on the Black Volta River in central Ghana.

VRA has two hydropower stations on the river. It has been supplying power to Togo and Benin since 1972 and maintained and operated an interconnected system with Ivory Coast since 1983.

Ivory Coast E&D

Ivory Coast production averaged 16,267 b/d of oil and 60 MMcfd of gas in mid-February. UMC's plans call for exploratory drilling on all five of the company's concessions this year.

UMC said Kudu 1, on an undrilled fault block on the eastern Kudu field structure on Block CI-01, extended the field 1.5 miles northeast.

UMC's 1997 exploration plans include several exploration/appraisal wells on the block, which borders Ghana. Offshore west of Abidjan, UMC plans two exploratory wells and four development wells on Block CI-11, three wildcats on Block CI-12, and a 3D seismic driven well at Gazelle on Block CI-02 at yearend.

It also plans one exploratory well in early 1998 on Block CI-105 with Royal Dutch/Shell after processing 3D data this year. This is the country's first deepwater concession.

UMC operates the five concessions, which cover a combined 2.7 million acres, with interests of 25-45%.

Kudu field progress

UMC might drill as many as three appraisal wells on the Kudu prospect during second half 1997.

Kudu 1 cut 75 ft of net pay in one interval and flowed 27.7 MMcfd of gas and 740 b/d of condensate from that zone at 7,300 ft. The reservoir is judged capable of delivering more than 80 MMcfd to pipelines planned to Abidjan and Ghana power markets.

Confirmation of Kudu as a significant gas field allows UMC to proceed with plans to develop this and other previously drilled eastern Cote d'Ivoire gas fields.

UMC entered design and engineering for an LPG extraction plant in Abidjan. The plant would use 75 MMcfd of gas from blocks CI-01 and CI-11 to produce 1,550 b/d of liquids for local consumption.

Western blocks

UMC has drilled 13 wells on Block CI-11 in Lion and Panthere fields. The company last year drilled four producers in Lion field and discovered a new fault block south of the field.

This year UMC plans one exploratory well to test a new Lion fault block, one exploration well to test Panthere field's D fault block, and three Lion and one Panthere development wells.

It also plans to install a crude oil pipeline this year from the Block CI-11 fields to the coast and eastward to the Abidjan refinery.

UMC in mid-February was drilling the Leopard 1 wildcat to test the Leopard prospect on Block CI-12 some 15-20 miles west of Lion field.

Two more wildcats are planned on the block this year to test the Jaguar, Cheetah, or Ocelot structures.

UMC and the Shell Group are processing 3D seismic on deepwater Block CI-105, where drilling could start in 1998. The block is in 1,500-6,000 ft of water.

Three large prospects, Entente, Grand Lahou, and East Grand Lahou, have been identified. UMC will operate during the exploration phase.