Heritage Oil ‘s rank wildcat Buffalo-1, a new discovery in the Butiaba region of Block 1 in Uganda, is potentially the largest in the Butiaba Area to date. The well encountered 15 metres of net gas pay and over 28 metres of net oil pay within a 123 metre gross interval. The well was in an early stage of evaluation as of December 2008.
Buffalo-1 was drilled some 500 metres from the crest of the structure to a total depth of 637 metres. Downhole pressure testing and sampling confirmed the presence of dry gas and moveable oil that has been recovered to surface. The company says that reservoir quality in all pay zones is excellent, with the gas and oil columns encountered being 48 metres and 75 metres respectively with the potential to be even larger.
Executives at Tullow Oil, which is partner to Heritage Oil on the lease, enthuse that “Buffalo-1 is the fifth successful test of the Victoria Nile delta play fairway within the Lake Albert Rift Basin”. It was drilled 16 km north-east of the Warthog-1 and Kasamene-1 discoveries. This latest result extends the play further north and de-risks several adjacent prospects, located in Blocks 1 and 2, which are scheduled for drilling in 2009.
The well has now been suspended as a future producer and the rig moved five km south to the location of the Giraffe prospect where drilling commenced in late December 2008. This well will also appraise some of the upside potential of the Buffalo discovery.
Tullow has interests in three licences in the Lake Albert Rift Basin in Uganda. Tullow operates Block 2 with a 100% interest and has a 50% interest in Blocks 1 and 3A which are operated by Heritage Oil (50%).
