By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 13 – China National Petroleum Corp. International Tenere Ltd. has spud the Facai-1 exploratory well on the 27,473 sq mile Tenere block in the northern part of the Termit rift basin in Niger.
In the southern half of the basin, CNPCIT has been actively appraising existing oil discoveries and drilling new exploratory wells with the aim of reaching oil reserve volume threshold to justify a pipeline.
Facai-1 is 63 miles north of the West Fachi-1 exploratory well that was drilled by CNPCIT/TG World Energy Corp. in 2007. Security issues prevented field operations from that time until mid-2010, when work began in preparation for Facai-1 drilling.
Facai-1 will be drilled to an estimated 12,000 ft to test Cretaceous sandstones in an anticlinal trap. Seismic data analysis indicates a hydrocarbon signature at the target reservoir zone. The Facai-1 well is expected to reach total depth in 60 to 90 days.
TVI Pacific Inc., Calgary, has 20% interest in the well that is funded 100% by CNPCIT under the terms of the project agreements.
