BW Energy’s side-track appraisal of the Hibiscus Updip oil discovery in Gabon has exceeded the company’s expectations to the extent that it is now expanding the initial hook up plan.
The company’s ‘Phase 3 development plans’ to tie the nearby Ruche and Ruche NE fields back to the Adolo FPSO are now being expanded to include a possible fast-track development of the discovery.
The estimate of gross recoverable oil at Hibiscus Updip, computed from the original wellbore and sidetrack is between 40 and 50Million barrels, according to reports widely shared with the public.
“This successful well enables us to further de-risk Gamba prospectivity in the Hibiscus area where we see significant additional potential”, says Panoro Oil, a minority partner in the asset and the project. “We are extremely pleased with the continued drilling success at Dussafu, and now look forward to the commencement of the production drilling phase at Tortue”.
The DHIMB-1 well was initially drilled in 116 metres of water to a vertical depth of 3,538 metres. On August 30, 2019, an oil discovery was announced in the pre-salt Gamba reservoir with plans to drill a sidetrack to appraise the extent of the Hibiscus Updip discovery.
The well was drilled in the northwest of the structure to test the lateral extent and structural elevation of the Gamba reservoir. The sidetrack was drilled to a Total Depth (TD) of 3,500 metres, (3,049 metres True Vertical Depth Subsea (TVDSS)) approximately 1.1 km from the original wellbore and found a 33 metre oil column with 26 metres of oil pay in the Gamba reservoir with better reservoir character and a similar fluid level to that encountered in the vertical well, DHIBM-1.
Further upside potential exists in the wider Hibiscus area which will be the focus of future exploration drilling.
