French major TOTAL has described, as significant, its gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa.
The Brulpadda well encountered 57 metres of net gas condensate pay in Lower Cretaceous reservoirs. Following the success of the main objective, the well was deepened to a final depth of 3,633 meters and has also been successful in the Brulpadda-deep prospect, the company said.
Kevin McLachlan, TOTAL’s Senior Vice President Exploration, said the French major had “opened a new world-class gas and oil play” with this well, “and is well positioned to test several follow-on prospects on the same block.”
Mr. McLachlan’s talk of several follow up prospects, is echoed by an enthusiastic statement by Africa Energy, one of TOTAL’s smaller partners on the lease. “The success at both the Brulpadda primary and secondary targets significantly de-risks four other similar prospects already identified on the existing 2D seismic. The Block 11B/12B partners plan to acquire 3D seismic this year, followed by up to four exploration wells”.
The Brulpadda well was drilled in approximately 1,400 metres of water by the Odfjell Deepsea Stavanger semi-submersible rig. The two primary objectives were in in a deep marine fan sandstone system within combined stratigraphic/structural closure and was deepened after successfully testing those objectives. Core samples were taken in the upper reservoir, and a comprehensive logging and sampling program was performed over both reservoirs.
