Italian explorer ENI has said it will fast-track the development of its latest discovery in Ghana by hooking it up to a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, located eight kilometres away.
On July 6, 2021, ENI announced Eban, its second discovery on the CTP Block 4 since the Akoma discovery, made in May 2019, and declared that “due to its proximity to existing infrastructure” the Eban-Akoma complex“ can be fast-tracked to production with a subsea tie-in to the John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) FPSO, with the aim to extend its production plateau and increase production”.
The JAK FPSO is producing 56,000Barrels of Oil Per day and 130Million standard cubic feet of gas from the Sankofa-Nyame, located in the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) block. “The Eban discovery is a testimony to the success of the infrastructure-led exploration strategy that Eni is carrying out in its core assets worldwide”, ENI says.
ENI has preliminarily estimated the potential of the Eban–Akoma complex between 500 and 700Million barrels of oil equivalent in place. The Eban – 1X well is sited approximately eight (8)kilometres Northwest of Sankofa Hub, where the JAK FPSO is located. It was drilled by the Saipem 10000 drillship in a water depth of 545 meters and reached a total depth of 4179 metres(measured depth). Eban – 1X proved a single light oil column of approximately 80metres in a thick sandstone reservoir interval of Cenomanian age with hydrocarbons encountered down to 3949metres (true vertical depth).
If the complex is hooked up as indicated, even if that takes 24 months, its crude and gas will reach the market before the peak of development of the Pecan field, an ultra-deep-water project operated by Aker Energy, which has been in fast-track mode since 2019. The Pecan field, which lies in 2,400 metre water depth in Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CT) block), was earlier held by HessCorp., an American explorer. It was acquired by Aker Energy in June 2018. First oil from the field was expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, but the consequences of COVID-19 has thrown the plans overboard.
ENI says that its new discovery has been assessed “following comprehensive analysis of extensive three dimensional (3D) seismic datasets and well data acquisition including pressure measurements, fluid sampling, and intelligent formation testing with state-of-the-art technology”. The company explains that its “acquired pressure and fluid data (oil density and Gas-to-Oil Ratio) and reservoir properties are consistent with the previous discovery of Akoma and nearby Sankofa field”, and “the production testing data show a well deliverability potential estimated at 5,000BOPD, similar to the wells already in production from Sankofa Field.
“The estimated hydrocarbon in place between the Sankofa field and the Eban-Akoma complex is now in excess of 1.1 Billion BOE and further oil in place upside could be confirmed with an additional appraisal well”, the European major explains. The Joint Venture of CTP Block 4 is operated by Eni (42.469%), on behalf of partners Vitol (33.975%), GNPC (10%), Woodfields (9,556%), GNPC Explorco (4,00%).
