Tlou Completes Botswana CBM Well
Africa-focused Tlou Energy has successfully completed the drilling of the Lesedi 3 development well or ‘pod’ at its coalbed methane (CBM) project in Botswana, it said February 12.
Lateral wells Lesedi 3A and Lesedi 3B have been successfully completed with both wells intersecting with the vertical well Lesedi 3P to complete the Lesedi 3 development pod.
Production facilities will be installed at Lesedi 3 before de-watering starts and the pressure in the coalbeds is lowered to achieve gas flow. The drilling rig is being moved to start drilling the second planned development pod, Lesedi 4, the company said.
The Lesedi project in Botswana covers about 3,800 km2 and consists of four coal and CBM prospecting licences (PL) and a mining licence. The latter area is the focal point for Tlou's operations and includes the Lesedi pilot wells and the Selemo pilot wells where Tlou had been flaring gas before the start of the drilling programme.
Tlou also has the Mamba project, adjacent to Lesedi, which consists of five coal and CBM PLs, covering about 4,500 km2.
In October it proposed to the government to build up to 100 MW of power plants, in 10-MW stages, running on Tlou's certified gas reserves of 41bn ft3 and contingent gas resources of about 3 trillion ft3. It is now awaiting a reply from the government. If the proposal and the initial project are successful, Tlou will consider expanding further, it said.
If Tlou's proposal is accepted, it will provide an ideal pathway towards a power purchase agreement (PPA). Once an initial development is completed, Tlou Energy's gas field will be connected to the regional grid, thereby opening the possibility for power sales across through the Southern African Power Pool.