London, UK | – Shell, in partnership with the Chinese state oil company, has made a new discovery in deep water offshore Gabon where the Leopard-1 well has found a significant 200 metre gas column.
The well is located in over two kilometres of water, some 145kms from the coast.
“This latest deep water discovery is a testament to the innovation of our explorers in pursuing new plays, and application of our global sub-surface expertise,” said Andy Brown, director of Shell Upstream International.
He added: “Shell has been exploring in Gabon for over 50 years.”
It is not sufficient to move the needle, particularly while oil prices are subdued, but nonetheless it is a notable exploration success.
Indeed, it is a boon for Ophir Energy’s interests in the exploration frontier. Shares in the Africa- focused explorer, which drilled unsuccessfully offshore Gabon this year, gained some 2.7% this morning.
