Offshore activity is gathering momentum across West Africa as governments and operators pursue new exploration opportunities and advance existing developments. Recent developments include Petrobras' entry into Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal's planned offering of 109 oil and gas blocks, new offshore agreements in Ghana and progress on Angola's Pacassa SW project.

Petrobras enters Côte d’Ivoire with eight offshore blocks

Petrobras Netherlands has signed production-sharing contracts for eight exploration blocks offshore Côte d’Ivoire with state-owned oil and gas company PETROCI Holding, 

For blocks CI-513, CI-600, CI-601, CI-602, CI-603, CI-605, CI-701 and CI-702. Petrobras will hold a 90% operated interest, the remaining 10% assigned to PETROCI.

Petrobras views the acreage as a high-potential exploration area along the African equatorial margin.

Senegal to offer 109 oil and gas blocks

The government of Senegal plans to market 109 oil and gas blocks to local and international investors, leaving only four of the country's 113 blocks under contract.

The licensing drive aims to attract new exploration investment while increasing participation by Senegalese companies in the upstream sector.

Eni and Vitol sign MoUs for two Ghana offshore blocks

Eni Ghana and partner Vitol Upstream Tano Ltd. have signed memorandums of understanding with the government of Ghana covering the offshore GH WB 3 and GH WB 8 blocks in the Tano Basin.

The agreements pave the way for final petroleum contracts on the two deepwater acreages, which span about 2,100 sq km and align with Eni's infrastructure-led exploration strategy near existing producing areas.

Sonangol, partners address Pacassa SW well obstruction offshore Angola

Sonangol plans to sidetrack the Pacassa SW well in Block 3/05 offshore Angola to enable running of completion equipment.

The well, spudded in April, reached MD of 5,381 m, encountering a 217m gross oil-bearing reservoir section with 136 m of net oil pay. But there were also substantial losses, said partner Afentra in its half-year results update, suggesting high levels of permeability from fractures and some depletion.

During completion operations, a failed packer restricting access to the wellbore. The purpose of the sidetrack will be to bypass the obstruction, allowing the completion equipment to be run.

But the partners may also opt to first transfer the rig to the Impala-2 well while waiting for required planning and equipment mobilisation to finish.

The Impala-1 well returned to production following a well intervention, before being shut in to accommodate preparations for Impala-2, which will target initial production of around 4,000 b/d.