Tortue Well Confirms Resources: Kosmos

US explorer Kosmos has found more gas offshore Senegal and Mauritania, which could justify a larger LNG plant than the 10mn metric tons/yr facility planned so far it said July 1. The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim-1 well (GTA-1), drilled on the eastern anticline within the unit development area of Greater Tortue, found about 30 metres of net gas pay in high-quality Albian reservoir.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project is on track to deliver first gas in the first half of 2022, and the well, which has been designed as a future producer, will be used to further optimise the development drilling plans for the BP-operated project.

CEO Andrew Inglis said: “The GTA-1 well confirms our expectation that the gas resource at Greater Tortue Ahmeyim will continue to grow over time and could lead to further expansion of this world-scale 10mn mt/yr LNG project. In addition, Kosmos’ process to sell down its interest to 10% has received considerable interest from the industry, with initial bids expected over the summer, and transaction conclusion anticipated by year end.”

The GTA-1 well was drilled in 2,500 metres of water, about 10 km inboard of the Guembeul-1A and Tortue-1 wells, to a total depth of 4,884 m. The Ensco DS-12 rig, working on behalf of the operator BP, will now drill the Yakaar-2 appraisal well in Senegal, which is expected to spud in the coming weeks, before drilling the Orca-1 exploration well in Mauritania, which is expected to spud late in the third quarter. Partners in the cross-border Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, offshore Mauritania and Senegal, include SMPHM, Petrosen, BP, and Kosmos. Shipbuilder Golar is to supply the floating liquefaction facilities.