BW Offshore said May 14 that it has successfully drilled and completed the DTM-3 appraisal well located at the Tortue field, within the Dussafu license, offshore Gabon.

The operation followed the drilling and completion of the DTM-2H horizontal production well which targeted the Dentale D6 reservoir. Future planned operations include an additional horizontal development well, the DTM-3H, which will target the Gamba Sandstone formation in the central part of the field.

“The appraisal well confirms the high quality of the Tortue field and gives us further confidence in the upside potential of the Dussafu license,” Carl K. Arnet, BW Offshore’s CEO, said. “We continue to execute on the development plan towards first oil in the second half of 2018 as planned.”

The DTM-3 appraisal wellbore was designed to appraise the western flank of the Tortue field attempting to extend the known distribution of hydrocarbon resources within the Gamba and Dentale formations.

The key objectives for the appraisal well were achieved including the confirmation of the presence of oil in the western flank of the Gamba formation which had previously been classified as contingent resources and will likely lead to additional development drilling in this part of the field once evaluations are completed and necessary approvals obtained.

Also, the penetration of approximately 30 m (98 ft) of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir within the Gamba and immediately underlying Dentale Subcrop Sandstones at a structural position matching the pre-drill estimate; penetration of additional hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs in the Dentale D2B and Dentale D6 reservoirs; and accident-free operations that were conducted both on time and on budget in the process of drilling the well to a total depth of 3,550 m (11,646 ft).