Angola’s state hydrocarbon company is utilising a contracted jack up rig to accelerate a two-well drilling programme in the country’s shallow water Block 3/05.
Sonangol is moving forward a planned 2026 drilling programme on Block 3/05 with the Borr Grid jackup, which it had contracted principally for another programme.
The first of the two wells is the Pacassa South West (SW) exploration. The second is either a Pacassa SW injection well or the Impala-2 development well.
Partners to Sonangol (40%, operator) on the block include Afentra (33.33%), Maurel & Prom (M&P) (23.33%), and NIS Naftagas (4%). The programme targets a potential gross production uplift of around 9,000Barrels of Oil Per Day (BOPD) and will help define the material upside potential in the Pacassa SW area up to 70Million Barrels of Oil (70MMBO) recoverable and the Impala field (up to 50MMBO recoverable). Block 3/05 averaged 20,000BOPD gross production in February 2026.
The campaign will commence with the Pacassa SW well, which is expected to have a drilling duration of 80 to 90 days. The decision second to either drill a Pacassa SW injection well or the Impala-2 development after Pacassa SW-1,dependent on the outcome of the initial Pacassa SW well and operational preparedness.
Pacassa SW is a currently un-drilled fault block adjacent to the prolific Pacassa field which has the potential to contain up to 210MMbbls of oil in place. The well will be drilled from the Pacassa F4 platform which in the event of a successful outcome will allow the well to be completed and connected to the existing production infrastructure. A successful outcome will also provide the opportunity to define the full development of the Pacassa SW area of up to 70MMBO recoverable resources
Impala-2 will be drilled from the Impala wellhead platform into the Impala field around 1000m from the existing Impala-1 production well. The well will assist in defining the upside potential of the field which could contain up to 200mmbo of oil in place. Upon completion the well will be connected to the existing production infrastructure. The outcome will also assist in defining the optimum Impala field development which has up to 50mmbo of incremental recoverable resources. Sonangol will finance the planned two well programme and carry its partners with the deferred capex being recovered by Sonangol from future incremental production revenues from the wells being drilled.
