Drilling resumes on Egina oil field offshore Nigeria

VANCOUVER, Canada — A new drilling campaign has started on the OML 130 Block offshore Nigeria with a well on the deepwater Egina oil field.

According to Africa Oil, which has a 50% shareholding in partner Prime, the multi-well program is designed to address the production decline from the block, which also contains the Akpo Field.

In addition, Prime is working on a conversion of the Petroleum Industry Act terms for the OML 127 license, containing the Agbami Field, along with the early renewal of OML 130.

That in turn could usher forward a final investment decision for the development of the Preowei oil discovery as a subsea tieback to the Egina FPSO to the south.

Offshore South Africa, Africa Oil has a 20% operated stake in Block 3B/4B, which it views as on trend with the deepwater Venus and Graff oil discoveries offshore Namibia in the Orange Basin.

The partners aim to conduct a two-well campaign on the block and are in talks with various parties on farming out an interest of up to 55%.

They have appointed a South African environmental consulting firm to manage the environmental and social impact assessment process in preparation for permitting and drilling activity.