Statoil Successfully Tests Tanzania Gas Well

Statoil and ExxonMobil on Monday announced that Zafarani-2 well in offshore Tanzania Block 2 was successfully tested and flowed at a maximum of 66 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The data acquired is important to reduce technical uncertainties in a possible future Tanzania offshore and LNG development, Statoil said.

“The ongoing appraisal programme is crucial to firm up the design and development basis for bringing gas to shore and a first phase onshore LNG project in Tanzania,” says Øystein Michelsen, Statoil’s Tanzania country manager.

“We are now working constructively with our co-venturer ExxonMobil, Blocks 1, 3 & 4 and the Tanzanian authorities to progress the plans for a joint LNG plant development.”

The production well rate potentials are estimated to be higher than the equipment constrained rates obtained during the test. The Zafarani-2 operation will be followed by the appraisal well Zafarani-3, which concludes the planned appraisal in the Zafarani reservoir, the cornerstone for a field development in Tanzania Block 2.

The Zafarani-2 well test announcement follows the Mronge-1 discovery made in December 2013, which was the fifth discovery in Block 2 and brought the natural gas in place volumes up to 17-20 trillion cubic feet (Tcf).

The Mronge-1 was preceded by three successful high-impact gas discoveries during the first drilling phase with Tangawizi-1, Zafarani-1 and Lavani-1, and a deeper discovery in a separate reservoir in Lavani-2. 

Statoil operates the licence on Block 2 on behalf of Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and has a 65% working interest, with ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited holding the remaining 35%.

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