Page 15 - AfrOil Week 33 2022
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AfrOil                                PROJECTS & COMPANIES                                             AfrOil



                         Earlier in August, NGC made a final investment   operations in 2026.
                         decision (FID) on the development of Mabo-  The two offshore fields will eventually yield
                         queiro and Quiluma.                  up to 330mn cubic feet (9.35mn cubic metres)
                           The group intends to begin work before the   per day of gas, equivalent to about 3.4bn cubic
                         end of this year and will then start production   metres per year. ™



       Eco Atlantic mobilises rig



       for drilling of Gazania-1 well






          SOUTH AFRICA   UK-BASED Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas reported
                         on August 12 that it had mobilised the rig that it
                         will use to drill the Gazania-1 exploration well
                         at Block 2B offshore South Africa in the Orange
                         basin.
                           In a statement, Eco Atlantic said that the
                         Island Innovator rig, owned by Island Drilling
                         Co., had been released from its most recent con-
                         tract and was now on the move. The rig is now
                         due to arrive at the Gazania-1 drilling site, which
                         is about 25 km from Northern Cape, by the end
                         of September, weather permitting, it said.
                           The company did not say exactly when it
                         expected to spud the well, but it did note that
                         the drilling project would take about 25 days to
                         complete.
                           According to previous reports, Gazania-1
                         will be sunk to a depth of around 2,800 metres,
                         targeting a stacked pay section up-dip of a pre-
                         vious discovery at the AJ-1 site, within a proven
                         oil horizon. It will be sealed and plugged after
                         testing, with no equipment left behind on the
                         seabed afterwards.
                           In the event of a discovery within the main
                         target, Eco Atlantic and its partners have
                         approved an option for the drilling of a sidetrack
                         well at Gazania-1. The companies have said they
                         hope to find up to 300mn barrels of light crude
                         oil at the site.
                           Colin Kinley, Eco Atlantic’s founder and
                         COO, expressed optimism about the upcoming
                         exploration drilling campaign at Block 2B. “We   The Gazania-1 well is due to be spudded by the end of September (Image: Azinam)
                         are excited to get underway with our drilling
                         campaign at Block 2B in the Orange basin off-  operate offshore Namibia,” he stated. “With all
                         shore South Africa,” he said. “A successful out-  of the recent operational success we have seen
                         come at the Gazania-1 well has the potential to   recently in Namibia, we are excited to be one of
                         be transformational for Eco [Atlantic] and our   the largest offshore licence holders in the region
                         JV partners.”                        and look forward to working with NAMCOR to
                                                              generate value for the benefit of all.”
                         JOAs signed for Namibian blocks        Eco Atlantic acquired its 50% equity stake
                         Kinley also reported that Eco Atlantic had   in and operatorship of the Block 2B project
                         signed joint operating agreements (JOAs) with   – along with its stakes in PEL 97, PEL 98 and
                         National Petroleum Corp. of Namibia (NAM-  PEL 99, as well as Block 3B/4B offshore South
                         COR) on four offshore assets in another section   Africa – through its takeover of Azinam Group,
                         of the Orange basin – namely, PEL 97 (Cooper),   which owns equity stakes in a number of blocks
                         PEL 98 (Sharon), PEL 99 (Guy) and PEL 100   offshore South Africa and Namibia, earlier this
                         (Tamar).                             year.
                           “We are also pleased to have signed JOAs   Azinam is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of
                         with NAMCOR in relation to the PELs we   Eco Atlantic. ™



       Week 33   18•August•2022                 www. NEWSBASE .com                                             P15
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