Murphy Oil has spudded the first of up to five potential appraisal wells on its Bubale oil discovery offshore Côte d’Ivoire, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
The Bubale West-1X well in Block CI-103 is 8 miles from the Bubale-1X discovery well, which encountered more than 100 m of net oil pay in Turonian and Cenomanian reservoirs. Bubale West-1X is targeting the Turonian interval, with drilling expected to take 90-120 days.
Murphy said the appraisal program, which could continue for up to two years depending on results, is designed to improve its understanding of the field's size, reservoir quality and development potential. The recoverable resource estimate had a pre-drill range of 340 MMboe to 850 MMboe.
US Gulf developments advance
In its latest results statement, the company also announced sanctions for development of the Banjo and Cello discoveries in the Mississippi Canyon area of the US Gulf of Mexico, first reported in January.
The two fields are located about 10 miles from Murphy's Delta House floating production platform and will be developed as tiebacks to the facility. Murphy is targeting first oil in late 2027.
Elsewhere in the US Gulf, the company has started completion operations on its high-impact Chinook #8 development well, which it expects to bring online during the fourth quarter at an initial production rate of about 15,000 boe/d.
Afterward, Murphy plans to focus on workovers and well interventions across its Gulf portfolio to enhance production, with the Samurai #4 well among its priorities.
