Eni reports oil strike on block off Angola

Eni SPA says a discovery in the northeast area of Block 15/06 off Angola confirms potential for a second productive hub on the block.

July 12, 2010

2 min read

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 12 -- Eni SPA says a discovery in the northeast area of Block 15/06 off Angola confirms potential for a second productive hub on the block.

The Cabaca Southeast-1 well, drilled in 470 m of water 100 km from the coast, reached its multitarget objective in deep Miocene strata and cut 450 m of gross oil pay, Eni said.

“The well has produced results beyond initial expectations and confirms the potential for a second productive hub in the northeast area of the block,” a company statement said.

Eni has made four discoveries in the western part of the block, which it plans to develop with subsea completions and a turret-moored floating production, storage, and offloading vessel.

It estimates production start-up in 2012 with peak production of 90,000 boe/d from reserves of 160 million boe. The discovery names are Cinguvu, Sangos, N’Zanza, and N’Goma (OGJ, Apr. 12, 2010, Newsletter).

Eni said the eastern hub anchored by the latest discovery, development of which can make use of engineering studies conducted for the west hub, would double production from Block 15/06.

Angola's state-owned Sonangol EP is the concessionaire for Block 15/06. Block interests are Eni, operator, 35%; SSI Fifteen Ltd. 20%; Sonangol Pesquisa e Producao SA and Total, 15% each; and Falcon Oil Holding Angola SA, Petrobras International (Braspetro) BV, and Statoil Angola Block 15/06 AS, 5% each.