Ophir Energy has commenced drilling operations on the Mlinzi Mbali-1 well in Block 7*, Tanzania. The company operates the Block with 80% net interest. The rank wildcat probe is located.210km east of Dar es Salaam and is being drilled by the Deepsea Metro I drillship.
Mlinzi Mbali-1 is the first well on Block 7 and is targeting a structural crest within a Lower Cretaceous channel complex, with secondary targets in the Upper Cretaceous and the Jurassic. “Pre-drill estimates show that the two primary channel reservoirs in the Lower Cretaceous have the potential to contain Pmean prospective resources of ~10 TCF”, Ophir claims in a press release. “Success would significantly derisk the total resource potential within the overall Mlinzi Channel complex, which is estimated at >20 TCF, as well as in other structures within the Block”.
The well is located in a water depth of approximately 2,600m and has a planned Total Depth of 5,650m True Vertical Depth Sub Sea. Operations are expected to take approximately 50 days.
