Units of Mobil Corp. and United Meridian Corp. (UMC), Houston, have unveiled a phased development plan for Zafiro field on Block B off Equatorial Guinea, the countrys first commercial oil field.
The West African country currently produces only gas and condensate from offshore Alba field.
Zafiros Phase I development program includes drilling eight wells expected to produce at a combined initial rate of 40,000 b/d. Phase I, still subject to approval by the Equatorial Guinea government, will use a leased floating production, storage, and offloading vessel connected by flexible risers to subsea wells.
First phase development, to cost $133 million, will go on stream in second half 1996. Phase II operations will depend on Phase I results.
The Mobil-UMC combine found the field last March with its 1 Zafiro wildcat, which flowed at a rate of more than 10,500 b/d of oil (see map, OGJ, Mar. 27, p. 24). Three more successful wells have been drilled in the field.
Mobil acquired an interest in Block B from UMC in May 1994 and became operator last January after completion of the first wildcat. Mobil has exercised its preferential right to acquire from UMC an added 10% participating interest in Block B for $38.9 million, boosting its interest to 75%. UMC said its agreement with Mobil is in lieu of its assignment of the interest to Yukong Ltd. (OGJ, Aug. 15, 1994, p. 44). UMC retains a 25% interest. Copyright 1995 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
