30 September 2012, Sweetcrude, DAR ES SALAAM – UK’s BG Group and fellow UK firm, Ophir Energy, have announced the resumption of their appraisal and satellite exploration campaign around the Jodari field in Block 1, off the coast of Tanzania.
Ophir said the drillship, Deepsea Metro 1, had returned to Block 1 and would start the new multi-well campaign which includes the Jodari North-1 and Jodari South-1 wells and a re-entry into the Jodari-1 discovery well.
The campaign will start with the drilling of the top-hole section of Jodari North-1well before the rig is moved to drill Jodari South-1 and a side track from Jodari South into the main Jodari field.
The Deepsea Metro 1 will then return to complete Jodari North-1 and a drill stem test of the Jodari-1 well is scheduled to be carried out in the first quarter of next year.
“After these next three wells we will return to drilling high impact exploration prospects, both on the significant prospect inventory on the established intraslope play and, potentially, also on the recently identified basin Floor Fan play,” Ophir chief executive Nick Cooper said in Friday’s statement.
The current campaign is targeted at further defining the resource potential of the Jodari discovery and to confirm the field as an anchor asset to support Tanzania’s first multi-train liquefied natural gas development.
The Jodari-1 discovery was made earlier this year and proved 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in place in the Lower Tertiary intraslope channel play.
To date, BG and Ophir have discovered 13.5 to 21 trillion cubic feet of gas in place across Blocks 1, 3 and 4 off Tanzania.
BG operates the blocks with a 60% interest, while Ophir holds the remaining 40% share.