Page 9 - AfrOil Week 41 2019

AfrOil
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrOil
SECURITY
PetroSA: Owning foreign oil
assets key to South Africa’s
energy security
During a national oil companies’ panel discus- sion on the final day of the Africa Oil & Power conference an exhibition, Nhlanhla Gumede, chairman of PetroSA, outlined the realities in the country’s energy sector. In particular, he highlighted that South Africa is an oil consum- ing country and would remain as such and dis- cussed how PetroSA contributes to the nation’s energy security.
“Energy security is a key issue in South Africa in the sense that a large part of our economy is dependent on energy. The oil side is even worse, in that half of our transport is actually oil based and remains oil based. I know that maybe in the future it will change to electric vehicles but, the need for oil will always be there,” he said.
Looking forward he said, French major Total’s Brulpadda discovery has a big role to play in balancing the country’s energy model and consumption. “We have to say ‘thank you’ to Brulpadda, [since] perhaps South Africa’s reliance on oil may change. We remain a largely oil-consuming country, but we need to plan for eventualities that may emerge from that,” he said.
Providing a possible solution for decreasing South Africa’s dependence on oil imports, he said there are various approaches the country can take, including owning alternative resources in other countries. “That is the strategy that Pet- roSA embarked on. We have operated in Equa- torial Guinea and gone as far as Egypt, for that matter, in Africa.”
To this point, Gumede noted the importance of increased co-operation between national oil companies (NOCs) as an effective way to build thriving and sustainable energy economies. “There must be some kind of collaboration between producer NOCs and largely consuming NOCslikeourselves.”
Africa Oil & Power, October 11 2019
UPSTREAM
NNPC discovers
hydrocarbon deposits in
Gongola Basin-Upper Benue
Trough
Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) has announced the discovery of hydrocarbon deposits in the Kolmani River II Well on the Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin, in the north-eastern part of the country. It would be recalled that drilling of the Kolmani River II Well was flagged-off in a colourful ceremony by Presi- dent Muhammadu Buhari on February 2, 2019.
A press release by the Corporation’s Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Samson Makoji, stated that NNPC acquired 435.54 square km of 3D seismic data over Kolmani Prospect in the Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin. This was to evaluate Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Com- pany (SNEPCo) Kolmani River 1 Well Discov- ery of 33 bcf (935mn cubic metres) and explore deeper levels.
The well was drilled with “Ikenga Rig 101” to a total depth of 13,701 feet (4,176 metres),
encountering oil and gas in several levels. A Drill Stem Test (DST) is currently on-going to confirm the commercial viability and flow of the Kolmani River reservoirs.
The Corporation explained that on Thurs- day, October 10, 2019, at 18:02 hours, one of thereservoirswasperforatedandhydrocarbon started flowing to the well head at 21:20 hours, in which the gas component was flared to prevent air charge around the rig. Preliminary reports indicate that the discovery consists of gas, con- densate and light sweet oil of API gravity ranging from 38 to 41 found in stacked siliciclastic creta- ceous reservoirs of Yolde, Bima Sandstone and Pre-Bima formations.
Computation of hydrocarbon volume is ongoing and will be announced in due course.
The corporation has also acquired additional 1,183 square km of 3D seismic data over highly prospective areas of Gongola Basin with a view to evaluating the full hydrocarbon potential of the Basin.
NNPC has deployed world class cutting-edge technologies including Surface Geochemistry, Ground Gravity/Magnetic, Stress Field Detec- tion, Full Tensor Gradiometry aerial surveys to de-risk exploration in the frontier basins. The NNPC plans to drill additional wells for full evaluation of the hydrocarbon volume in the Gongola Basin.
It would be recalled that during the spud-in ceremony of Kolmani River II, the president stated the commitment of his administration to the exploration for Oil and Gas in the frontier basins in the entire length and breadth of the country. The basins include: the Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Sokoto and Bida Basins. He also stated that attention would be given to the Daho- mey and Anambra Basins which have already witnessed oil and gas discoveries.
The discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantity in the Gongola Basin will attract foreign investment, generate employment for people to earn income and increase government revenues. NNPC, October 11 2019
DOWNSTREAM
Centurion moderates
discussion on Africa’s
downstream sector at
Africa Oil & Power
Centurion Law animated and moderated an industry discussion on Africa’s downstream sector and the continent’s shifting trade routes at the Africa Oil & Power Conference in Cape Town today.
Week 41 16•October•2019
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