Invictus Energy to begin Cabora Bassa drilling operations in July

Invictus Energy Ltd. has let an integrated well services contract to Baker Hughes for drilling operations at Cabora Bassa basin in the Muzarabani-Mbire area of Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin in July 2022, the company said in a release May 26.

Baker Hughes will provide cementing, mudlogging, wireline, drilling fluids and mud engineering, tubular running, finishing and abandonment, directional drilling and logging, liner hangers, drill bits, reservoir technical services, and project management. The scope of the contract also includes the supply and installation of wellhead equipment.

The contract comes after Invictus signed a letter of intent with Baker Hughes in February for well services in support of the company’s upcoming two-well exploration campaign at Cabora Bassa.

In March, the company signed a rig contract for Exalo Rig 202, which is expected to mobilize to Zimbabwe from Tanzania in early June.

Cabora Bassa is one of the last untested large frontier rift basins in onshore Africa (OGJ Online, Apr. 30, 2018). Invictus Energy’s principal asset is SG 4571 which contains the Mukuyu prospect, which is the largest undrilled prospect onshore Africa and is independently estimated to contain 8.2 tcf and 247 million bbl gas condensate (gross mean unrisked basis). Invictus is awaiting an updated independent prospective resources estimate incorporating new CB21 seismic results.

Invictus Energy is operator at Cabora Bassa with 80% interest.