Houston-based Vaalco Energy has completed the drilling of a well offshore Gabon and expects to bring it online within a few weeks which will increase recovery from the Avouma field.
Vaalco drilled the well using a Borr Drilling jack-up rig. The rig was hired in June 2021 with the name of the rig left undisclosed. The deal was for two development wells and two appraisal wellbores with options for more wells.
Although neither company stated which rig was going to do the drilling, Borr Drilling revealed in its fleet status report earlier this year that the Norve jack-up has already been working for Vaalco from December 2021 and that it would end its contract during April 2022.
Vaalco said that the Avouma 3H-ST development well was drilled from the Avouma platform in the Etame field, offshore Gabon with a lateral of 880 feet in high-quality Gamba sands at the top of the structure.
The company added that it encountered premium Gamba sands with 28 percent porosity and one Darcy of permeability. This, according to Vaalco, confirms the extension of Avouma reservoir and is forecasted to increase the overall recovery from the field, potentially allowing for additional wells.
The Avouma 3H-ST well is currently being completed with initial production expected in the next few weeks. Following completion, the drilling program will continue with the spudding of the ETBSM-1HB ST2 development well from the Avouma platform.
The first well in the campaign, the Etame 8H-ST, was spud in December 2021. The well was brought online in February and had initial flow rates of approximately 5,000 bopd but has been choked back to about 4,200 bopd for reservoir management purposes. This means that the rig still has one more well to drill after it completes the ETBSM-1HB ST2 well.
“With the drilling of the Avouma 3H-ST well, Vaalco continues the success of our 2021/2022 drilling campaign. We are very excited by the high-quality Gamba sands that we encountered drilling the Avouma 3H-ST well. The well confirms the extension of the Avouma field into an updip location that should lead to increased recovery at Avouma and opens the potential for additional development well opportunities,” George Maxwell, Vaalco’s Chief Executive Officer, said.
“The continued success of our drilling campaign further demonstrates the quality of our premier Etame asset. We expect the well to be online in the next few weeks and will provide the market with an update when we have initial production data.
“Post completion we will begin drilling the next planned well on the Avouma platform, the ETBSM-1HB ST2 development well. Our focus is on continuing to execute our strategy and delivering strong operational and financial results.
“We are excited about the future for Vaalco with the continued development of our interests in offshore Gabon, upside opportunities in Equatorial Guinea, and the potential to integrate accretive acquisitions aimed at further strengthening Vaalco and growing shareholder value,” Maxwell added.
Vaalco is the operator of the Etame Marin field offshore Gabon with 58.8 percent working interest and 63.6 percent participatIng interest. Its partners are Addax Petroleum and PetroEnergy.
For more information visit www.vaalco.com
