Statoil platform, North Sea
Dodoma, Tanzania – Norway’s multinational energy company Statoil and its partner offshore East Africa, ExxonMobil, have confirmed a fifth gas find in prolific ultra-deepwater Block 2 off the coast of Tanzania.
The discovery of an additional 56.6 Bcm to 85 Bcm (2 Tcf to 3 Tcf) of natural gas in place in the Mronge-1 well brings the total of in-place volumes up to 481 Bcm to 566 Bcm (17 Tcf to 20 Tcf) in the block, the Norwegian operator said. Mronge-1 was drilled by the drillship Discoverer Americas and is located 20 km (12 miles) north of the Zafarani discovery in 2,500 m (8,202 ft) of water.
“We have initiated a new and ambitious drilling campaign offshore Tanzania following four successful discoveries during the first drilling phase. The Mronge-1 well discovered additional gas volumes and furthers the potential for a natural gas development in Tanzania. The new drilling program also allows us to fully explore the remaining exploration potential in Block 2,” Nick Maden, Statoil’s senior vice president of exploration activities in the Western hemisphere, said in a press release.
The Mronge-1 well discovered gas at two separate levels. The main accumulation is at the same stratigraphic level as is proven in the Zafarani-1 well in Block 2. The Zafarani-1 discovery was made in 2012 and was a play opener for the block, the company said in the release.
The secondary accumulation was encountered in a separate, younger gas-bearing reservoir in a play that previously has not been tested in the block.
The Mronge-1 find has been preceded by three successful high-impact gas discoveries during the first drilling phase in the block – Tangawizi-1, Zafarani-1, and Lavani-1 – and a deeper discovery in a separate reservoir in Lavani-2.
Following Mronge-1, the partnership is scheduled to appraise the 2012 Zafarani discovery. Statoil operates Block 2 on behalf of Tanzania Petroleum Development Corp. and has a 65% working interest, with ExxonMobil E&P Tanzania Ltd. holding the remaining 35%.
