BW Energy confirms potential development cluster through Bourdon sidetrack

BW Energy confirmed potential for establishing a new development cluster offshore Gabon after the second sidetrack confirmed “the substantial oil discovery with good reservoir and fluid quality” of the Bourdon prospect made in March. 

Well DBM-1 ST2 was drilled in the Dussafu License to further appraise the March discovery, the company said in a release Apr. 22. Evaluation of logging data and formation pressure measurements confirmed about 34 m of pay in an overall hydrocarbon column of 45 m in the Gamba formation. The discovery well was drilled by the Norve jack-up rig to a total depth of 4,135 m. 

Evaluation of logging data and formation pressure measurements of the sidetrack confirm about 11.2 m of pay in an overall hydrocarbon column of 35.2 m in the Gamba formation. The well was drilled by the Norve jack-up rig to a total depth of 4,731 m. 

Initial data shows that oil from Bourdon field has the lowest viscosity of the Dussafu discoveries measuring an average of 3.5 centipoise (cp), compared to 5 cp and 7 cp for the Hibiscus / Tortue and Ruche fields, respectively, the operator said.

Management estimates indicate 56 million bbl oil in place of which about 25 million bbl are considered recoverable, the company continued.  

“The appraisal well confirms the potential for establishing a new development cluster with a production facility following the MaBoMo blueprint. We expect at least four producing wells,” said Carl K. Arnet, BW Energy’s chief executive officer. 

Bourdon lies about 15 km west of the BW Adolo FPSO and 7.5 km southeast of the MaBoMo offshore jack up production platform.