Initial pressure indications, Afentra added, point to limited pressure depletion and confirm communication with the main Pacassa Field. If confirmed through further evaluation and production performance, the estimated 70 MMbbl of recoverable resources could represent one of the more significant recent additions within Angola's mature shallow-water producing areas.

The pressure data suggest the new accumulation is connected to the existing Pacassa producing system, potentially allowing Sonangol and its partners to accelerate development through a lower-cost tieback rather than requiring standalone infrastructure.

Angola's operators have increasingly focused on near-field opportunities and brownfield developments as they work to offset natural declines from long-producing offshore assets.

The well is now being completed as an oil producer and will be connected to the Pacassa production infrastructure, after which the rig will mobilize to the next well location, the Impala-2 development well in the same block. This should take about 80 days to drill, and deliver about 4,000 bbl/d on startup (if successful).

The discovery supports a broader strategy by operators in Angola's mature offshore basins to extend field life through near-field exploration, well interventions and infrastructure-led developments that can rapidly convert discoveries into production.

Impala redevelopment adds production

Impala-1, which had been shut in since 2017, was earlier restored to production under a light well intervention (LWI) program. 

A slickline intervention led to the identification and removal of a shallow wellbore obstruction. During production testing, the well flowed up to ~4,700 bbl/d, and it has since been producing at about 3,000 bbl/d, the rate constrained to manage water cut and longer-term reservoir performance.

Block 3/24 campaign supports future FID

Afentra has completed its first operated offshore campaign in Angola on Block 3/24. This involved inspecting the Palanca NE, Quissama-1, Quissama-2 and Golungo-1 subsea wellheads, using a compact ROV deployed from a locally contracted vessel.

Acquired video, measurement and well integrity data will support planning for the GPQ (Golungo-Palanca NE-Quissama) development ahead of a final investment decision (FID).