Eni Makes Big discovery in gas and condensates onshore Niger Delta
Italian oil firm Eni has made a major discovery onshore Nigeria, with reserves estimated at one trillion cubic feet of gas and 60 million barrels of condensate.
The significant gas and condensate location is in the deeper sequences of the Obiafu-Obrikom fields, in OML61, onshore Niger Delta, with the Obiafu-41 deep well.
It is part of a drilling campaign planned by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), a company operated by Eni (20%), in partnership with state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (60%) and African energy firm Oando (20%).
The Obiafu-41 well reached a total depth of 4.374m and encountered 130m of hydrocarbon-bearing sands within the deltaic sequence of Oligocene age. It will be immediately put on stream to increase NAOC’s gas production.
The well has the daily capacity to deliver more than 100 million standard cubic feet of gas and 3,000 barrels of associated condensates.
Through the discovery, the NAOC JV intends to explore near-field and deep pool opportunities as an immediate time to market opportunities.
It said the discovery has further potential that will be evaluated with the next appraisal campaign.
The Italian firm’s equity hydrocarbon production in Nigeria was 100,000boe/d last year.
The company’s exploration and production work in the country covers more than 30,000km² in the onshore and offshore areas of the Niger Delta.
NAOC operates in the land and swamp areas of the Niger Delta with concessions lying within Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers States.
The concession covers a total area of 5,313 km² comprising four blocks, namely OML 60, 61, 62 and 63.
NAOC operates onshore exploration leases OPL 282 (90% interest) in the swamp and OPL 135 (48% interest) in the land area.
The company also owns a 5% participating interest in the SPDC JV with NNPC (55%), The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) (30%), and Total E&P Nigeria (TEPNG) (10%), with SPDC as JV operator.