BP Finds More Gas off Senegal

BP has struck gas at the Yakaar-2 appraisal well off the coast of Senegal, its Texas-based project partner Kosmos Energy reported on September 23.

Yakaar-2 was drilled to a depth of 4,800 metres in waters around 2,500 metres deep. It encountered a 30-metre net gas pay within a high-quality Cenomanian reservoir similar to that at the Yakaar-1 well 9 km north, proving the southern extension of the Yakaar field, Kosmos said in a London stock exchange filing. The company reported a major gas find at Yakaar-1 two years ago.

Kosmos said the latest result underpinned the Yakaar-Teranga resource base’s “world-scale” status,  noting it had a 100% drilling success rate in the Mauritania/Senegal gas trend. The Yakaar and Teranga discoveries have previously been estimated to contain 10-25 trillion ft³ of in-place gas.

BP operates the Yakaar-Teranga project with a 60% interest, while Kosmos has 30% and Senegalese national oil company Petrosen has 10%. The group plan to develop the resource in phases, initially providing gas for the domestic market before potentially launching LNG exports.

The Valaris DS-12 rig used to drill Yakaar-2 will now move on to sink the Orca-1 exploration well off Mauritania, on behalf of BP.