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But it did say it had been able to collect reser-
voir and technical data from the interval before
encountering problems during drilling.
Those problems, it explained, stemmed from
higher pressure levels below the base of the San-
tonian interval. “The company was able to suc-
cessfully retrieve rotary sidewall cores but was
unable to collect representative fluid samples
from the reservoir, [owing] to conditions caused
by cementing operations, which were required
to mitigate increased pressure below the base of
the Santonian formation,” it said in its statement.
Apache used the Noble Sam Croft drillship
to sink Kwaskwasi-1, the third exploration
well drilled at Block 58. The company has now
moved the vessel to the site of the fourth well,
which will be known as Keskesi East-1. The new
well, which will also test the Campanian and
Santonian intervals, will be sunk at a position
about 14 km south-east of the second explora- Apache has sunk 4 wells at Block 58 (Image: Apache)
tion shaft, Sapakara-1.
All three of these wells – along with Maka Equity in Block 58% is currently split 50:50
Central-1, the first exploration well drilled at between Apache, the operator, and Total
the block – lie along the same trend. Apache has (France). Staatsolie, the national oil company
already made multiple statements announcing (NOC) of Suriname, has said it may seek to
the discovery of oil, condensate and natural gas acquire an equity stake in the project. ™
reserves there.

Kosmos sells stakes in African,

South American projects to Shell

KOSMOS Energy (US) has arranged to sell
its stakes in four African and South American
exploration projects to an affiliate of Royal
Dutch Shell (UK/Netherlands).
In a statement, Kosmos said it had signed an
agreement on the sale with Dordtsche Petro-
leum Maatschappij, a fully-owned subsidiary
of Shell. The document provides for the latter
company to pay up to $200mn for the former’s
participating interest in blocks located offshore
Suriname, São Tomé & Príncipe, Namibia and
South Africa.
“The consideration consists of an upfront
cash payment of approximately $100mn, plus
contingent payments of $50mn payable upon
each commercial discovery from the first four
exploration wells drilled across the assets,
capped at $100mn in aggregate,” the statement
said. The Kichwa community was heavily affected by the spill (Image: Amazon Frontlines)
The parties hope to finalise the deal in the
fourth quarter of 2020, it added. The transaction 39 offshore Namibia; in Northern Cape Ultra-
will have an effective date of September 1. Deep Block offshore South Africa, and in Blocks
Kosmos has previously said it expected to 42 and 45 offshore Suriname.
drill exploration wells in three of the four coun- According to the statement, the proceeds of
tries listed above in 2021. The Dallas-based the deal with Shell will help the firm reduce its
company holds stakes in Blocks 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 debt burden and fund exploration work in the
and 13 offshore São Tomé & Príncipe; in Block US Gulf of Mexico.

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 17•September•2020