French major TOTALEnergies is targeting up to four wells (including the re-entry of the Venus -1X discovery well, in Block 2913B), to appraise the Venus discovery and to investigate a potential westerly extension of Venus, the Nara prospect on Block 2912.
- Venus -1A, on Block 2913B, to spud in the next few days, will be the first well to be drilled, using the Tungsten Explorer drillship, and is the first appraisal well on the Venus discovery. This will be followed by a drill stem test using the Deepsea Mira.
- Upon completion of the Venus -1A drill stem test, the Venus -1X exploration well, also on Block 2913B, will be re-entered using the Deepsea Mira to conduct a second drill stem test.
- Nara -1X, an exploration well on the neighbouring licence, Block 2912, will then be drilled and flow tested by the Tungsten Explorer. This is the test of the western extension of the Venus prospect.
- If Nara -1X proves successful, the Nara -1A appraisal well could then be drilled in Block 2912 and flow tested.
This programme will provide vital information that will hopefully enable TOTAL and partners to press ahead with development.
The Venus discovery is a large light oil and associated gas field, located in the Orange Basin, approximately 290 kilometres off the coast of southern Namibia, and in water depth of approximately 3,000 metres. The well was drilled to a total depth of 6,296 metres, by the Maersk Voyager drillship, and encountered a high quality light oil-bearing sandstone reservoir of Lower Cretaceous age.
Drilling of Venus -1A, the first appraisal well on the Venus discovery, will be located approximately 13 kilometres to the north of the Venus -1X discovery well and drilled using the Tungsten Explorer drillship. The Deepsea Mira will then be used to conduct a drill stem test at this location.
The Deepsea Mira will then re-enter and side-track the Venus -1X well and conduct a flow test. The objective of this programme is to further evaluate the Venus reservoir and deliver dynamic data.
Block 2913B (PEL 56). PEL 56 is operated by TOTALEnergies who holds, a 40% working interest, with Impact Oil7Gas holding 20% and QatarEnergy and NAMCOR respectively hold a 30% and 10% working interest.
Block 2912 (PEL 91)may contain a highly material westerly extension of the Venus field. Operations by TOTALEnergies during 2023, on behalf of the Joint Venture, are designed to explore and, if successful test, this potential extension of the Venus accumulation into Block 2912 and provide an understanding of the structure and reservoir quality.
