The new gas discovery by ENI, the Italian explorer, will add a trillion cubic feet (Tcf) to Nigeria’s estimated gas reserves of 200Tcf.
The reservoir was encountered at a previously untested deep level in what is otherwise a brown field; the Obiafu-Obrikom twin structure. In Oil Mining Lease (OML) 61, onshore Niger Delta.
“The well (Obiafu-41 Deep) can deliver in excess of 100Million standard cubic feet/day of gas and 3,000 barrels/day of associated condensates, and will be immediately put on-stream to increase NAOC’s gas production”, the company says.
NAOC, which is acronym for Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), is one of ENI’s upstream subsidiaries in Nigeria.
Obiafu-Obrikom is the eastern end of the grid line gas pipeline, the Oben-Obiafu-Obrikom (OB3) pipeline, which is under construction by the Nigerian Gas Company. But the immediate market for the newly discovered gas reserves is the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas NLNG Train 7 project. ENI also supplies gas to the Okpai Plant, the 450MW power plant it constructed and operates in the Niger Delta region.
ENI is 20% operator, with the state hydrocarbon company NNPC holding 60%, and Oando having 20% in OML 61.
“The well reached a total depth of 4.374 m encountering an important gas and condensate accumulation within the deltaic sequence of Oligocene age comprising more than 130m of high quality hydrocarbon-bearing sands”, ENI says.
The discovery, part of a drilling campaign planned by NAOC JV and aimed at exploring near-field and deep pool opportunities as immediate time to market opportunities, has further potential that will be assessed with the next appraisal campaign.
