The Anadarko Petroleum Corp. partnership has completed the drilling portion of its appraisal program offshore Mozambique, where the four-discovery gas field in Offshore Area 1 has been named “Prosperidade” (prosperity) by Mozambique middle school children.
The last appraisal well, Barquentine-4, cut 525 net ft of natural gas pay, becoming the partnership’s ninth successful well in the complex in the Rovuma basin.
Prosperidade, estimated to hold 17 to 30 tcf or more of recoverable gas, includes the Windjammer, Barquentine, Lagosta, and Camarao discoveries and five subsequent appraisal wells.
The partnership will mobilize the drillship to the northern part of the block to begin testing more high-potential exploration prospects that may expand the resource even further and provide tieback opportunities for future LNG hub facilities (see maps, OGJ, Apr. 2, 2012, p. 72).
The drillship will top-set the Atum prospect and then begin drilling the Golfinho prospect. The partnership’s second drillship operating in the area is continuing to carry out an extensive testing program in the complex.
Anadarko is operator of the 2.6-million-acre Offshore Area 1 with a 36.5% working interest. Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 Ltd. has 20%, BPRL Ventures Mozambique BV 10%, Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Ltd. 10%, and Cove Energy Mozambique Rovuma Offshore Ltd. 8.5%. Mozambique’s ENH has 15% iinterest is carried through the exploration phase.
Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration
Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.
Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.