Offshore staff
LEEDERVILLE, Australia – African Petroleum has completed Apalis-1, the first deepwater well off Liberia in block LB-09.
The well was drilled to a depth of 3,665 m (12,024 ft) and encountered oil shows in several geological sections, including the shallower (Tertiary) and deeper (Cretaceous). Petrophysical analysis indicates the presence of hydrocarbons.
Apalis-1 also confirmed the presence of organic oil-prone source rocks, suggesting that LB-08 and LB-09 (also operated by African Petroleum) are in a prospective oil basin.
The company now plans to speed up a multi-well drilling program on the 25-plus exploration prospects it has identified on the blocks, with the first of these wells due to be drilled in the fall and early in 2012.
The forward exploration program will focus on the deeper basinal zone where African foresees improved reservoir quality in the well-developed Cretaceous fan system.
CEO Karl Thompson said: “This is the first ever frontier well in the deep water in Liberia and has confirmed we are exploring in a highly prospective oil basin which was its key objective.”
09/09/2011
