Anadarko Petroleum has unveiled a new deepwater discovery offshore east Africa’s Mozambique, as well as a successful appraisal well that have together added significant momentum to the operator’s multi-billion dollar plans for a world-class gas hub development.

The US independent confirmed a total of five discoveries made during the second quarter, but had only announced two of them before its second quarter 2013 results presentation.

It has hit 85 m (280 ft) of net natural gas pay in Oligocene and Miocene sands with its Espadarte wildcat in its prolific Offshore Area 1. The well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 3,548 m (11,640 ft) in a water depth of 468 m (1,536 ft). Pressure data indicate the Oligocene sands are in static communication with the Golfinho/Atum reservoirs, confirming this as a northwest extension of the field. Additional appraisal wells are now planned to fully evaluate the northern and up-dip extent of the Golfinho/Atum field, said the company in its operations update.

Anadarko operates Espadarte with a 36.5% working interest, with its partners being Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1, Ltd. (20%), BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. (10%), Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Ltd. (10%) and PTT E&P (8.5%). Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, ep, owns a 15% carried interest.

Anadarko also confirmed that, subject to the second quarter’s close, its Atum-3 well had also encountered approximately 70 m (230 net feet) of natural gas pay and established gas-water contact for the greater Golfinho field. This down-dip appraisal well confirmed both separation from the giant Prosperidade field and that the accumulation lies entirely within Offshore Area 1, it said.

Earlier in the quarter Anadarko also drilled a discovery on the Orca prospect, hitting 58 m (190 net feet) of gas pay (see DI, 22 April 2013, page 4). However a well on the Linguado prospect in northern Offshore Area 1 was plugged and abandoned after hitting water-bearing sands.

Anadarko and Eni, operators of Offshore Areas 1 and 4 respectively, are co-operating with a co-ordinated Plan of Development for the Prosperidade and Mamba fields (in Areas 1 and 4 respectively), which is expected to be submitted to the government by the end of 2013. The plan involves tying back the fields in the Rovuma Basin to a multi-billion dollar onshore LNG Park on the coast (see DI, 24 December 2012, page 1).

Bob Daniels, executive vice president of international and deepwater exploration for Anadarko, said that the company was now planning to go back in and redo the entire Golfinho/Atum complex with additional drilling. “We’re going to have a couple more appraisal wells in it to really delineate the field. But what it’s primarily doing is moving up the lower end in terms of reserves, and giving us a lot more confidence in the low end,” he said.

Anadarko also revealed a new ultra-deepwater discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, where it’s Raptor wildcat in Desoto Canyon Block 535 hit approximately 46 m (150 net feet) of high-quality oil pay in Jurassic reservoirs. Raptor was drilled in approximately 2,499 m (8,200 ft) of water. Anadarko operates Raptor with a 50% working interest, with its equal partner being BHP Billiton Petroleum (Deepwater) Inc.

Anadarko also confirmed that a Shell-operated wildcat on the Yucatan prospect in Walker Ridge Block 95, in which it holds a 15% interest, also hit more than 37 m (120 net feet) of Lower Tertiary oil pay.

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