BP drilling campaign confirms potential of gas resources offshore Mauritania and Senegal

BP announced that its recent three-well drilling campaign offshore Mauritania and Senegal has further confirmed the world-class scale of the gas resource in the region.

Three appraisal wells drilled this year, GTA-1, Yakaar-2 and Orca-1, targeted a total of nine hydrocarbon-bearing zones. The wells encountered gas in high quality reservoirs in all nine zones.

The wells were the first in the region to be operated by BP. All three were completed safely, under budget and ahead of schedule. In total, the wells encountered 160 metres of net pay, growing confidence in the significant gas resources in the region. The overall drilling campaign was delivered 40 days ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget.

Most recently, in November, Orca-1 well in Block C8 offshore Mauritania, successfully encountered all five of the gas sands originally targeted. The well was then further deepened to reach an additional target, which also encountered gas.

Howard Leach, BP’s head of exploration, said: “This is an exciting result as it proves that our seismic data is identifying hydrocarbon reservoirs deeper than we had previously thought. We have identified a large prospective area with considerable resource potential in Southern Mauritania. We will now conduct further appraisal drilling to help inform future development decisions.”

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Phase 1 development was sanctioned in December 2018. The successful results of Yakaar-2 and Orca-1 could underpin future developments, including a possible new development in Yakaar-Teranga in Senegal and in the Bir Allah/Orca area in Southern Mauritania. The timings of both potential future developments will depend on the level of appraisal required, supporting commercial development plans and integrated gas master plans in the host nations.

BP’s partners in Block C8 in Mauritania are Kosmos Energy and SMHPM (Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier). BP’s partners in the Cayar Profond block (which includes Yakaar-2) in Senegal are Kosmos Energy and Petrosen. BP’s partners in the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim unit are Kosmos Energy, SMHPM and Petrosen. 

• In Mauritania, BP’s working interests in offshore Blocks C-6, C-8, C-12 and C-13 is 62%, with Kosmos Energy holding 28% and Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM) holding 10%. In Senegal, BP holds participating and effective working interests in the Saint-Louis Profond and Cayar Profond blocks offshore Senegal of 60%, with Kosmos Energy holding 30% and Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (Petrosen) holding 10%. 
• The Tortue gas field is located on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal and is being developed as the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project – an innovative offshore floating Liquefied Natural Gas facility. It will be the first development that establishes the basin as a world class source of gas, providing revenue for the countries, as well as a low-cost source of domestic energy. BP is the lead operator for the project.

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