Page 15 - AfrOil Week 11 2021
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AfrOil                                PROJECTS & COMPANIES                                             AfrOil



                         Moses also suggested that Ghana’s government   to take delivery of its first shipment within the
                         take measures to stimulate domestic gas con-  framework of a long-term supply contract with
                         sumption. Accra should establish a favourable   Royal Dutch Shell (UK/Netherlands) by the end
                         regulatory regime and help expand the country’s   of March.
                         gas infrastructure, he said.           The terminal consists of a floating regasifica-
                           IES published its report shortly after Tema   tion unit (FRU) and a separate floating storage
                         LNG Terminal Co. (TLTC), the owner of the   unit (FSU), both of which have been moored at
                         Tema LNG terminal, indicated that it might be   a new jetty built by West Africa Gas. The FRU is
                         able to start commercial operations in the near   capable of handling 1.7mn tonnes per year (tpy)
                         future.                              of LNG, and the storage vessel boosts the facil-
                           According to a spokesman for the consor-  ity’s total storage capacity to 145,000-160,000
                         tium, the terminal will be “mechanically ready”   cubic metres. ™



       ARA, Aminex to collect 3D seismic



       data from Ruvuma block this year






            TANZANIA     ARA Petroleum Tanzania (APT), an affiliate
                         of ARA Petroleum of Oman, hopes to carry
                         out a 3D seismic data survey programme at the
                         Ruvuma block in southern Tanzania this year,
                         according to UK-based Aminex, a minority
                         shareholder in the project.
                           In a statement dated March 10, Aminex said
                         that APT had begun the process of awarding
                         contracts for the collection of high-resolution
                         3D seismic data from the block. It did not name
                         any of the parties that are bidding for the deal,
                         but it did say that the survey would be carried
                         out in the second and third quarters of 2021.
                         APT will process the data after the acquisition
                         process is completed, it added.
                           According to previous reports, the partners
                         will use the results of the 3D survey to supple-
                         ment existing 2D seismic data and to develop
                         a more comprehensive understanding of Nto-
                         rya, a field within the Ruvuma block. They will
                         also refer to it while finalising their plans for
                         the drilling of the Chikumbi-1 well exploration
                         and selecting locations for future drilling pro-
                         grammes, Aminex said last week. “The joint
                         venture partners agree that the acquisition of
                         a high-resolution 3D seismic survey is of pri-
                         mary importance for the preparation of the field
                         development plan,” it commented.
                           APT and Aminex hope to spud Chikumbi-1   The Ntorya section of Ruvuma may hold more than 21 bcm of gas (Image: Aminex)
                         in early 2022 and will mobilise a drilling rig and
                         provide other pre-drilling services in the second   board is delighted that activity on the ground
                         half of this year. They aim to drill the exploration   in Tanzania is finally taking concrete form and
                         well to a depth of 3,485 metres, which will allow   moving us closer to establishing the field devel-
                         them to target the block’s proven Cretaceous   opment plan, whilst enabling the final planning
                         interval, as well as a deeper exploration prospect   of the Chikumbi-1 well and assisting with the
                         in the Jurassic interval.            location of subsequent wells,” he said.
                           If, as expected, the shaft contains commercial   APT recently became a majority shareholder
                         quantities of natural gas, it may begin produc-  in the Ruvuma block under a farm-in deal with
                         tion in September 2024.              Aminex. The partners have already discovered
                           Charles Santos, the executive chairman of   gas at Ntorya, a section of the block that may
                         Aminex, expressed satisfaction with his compa-  contain as much as 763bn cubic feet (21.607bn
                         ny’s plans for Ruvuma this year. “The Aminex   cubic metres) in recoverable reserves. ™



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