Kosmos Energy said May 18 that the Tortue-1 exploration well in Block C8 offshore Mauritania encountered additional hydrocarbons while drilling to total depth.

Tortue-1 intersected about 10 m (32 ft) of net hydrocarbon pay in the lower Albian section, which is currently interpreted to be gas. This is in addition to 107 m (351 ft) of net pay encountered in the primary target Cenomanian. The well was evaluating the Albian, having been drilled past the Cenomanian, the company said. Subsequent wells will test the seismic calibration of the Albian. No water was encountered in Tortue-1, Kosmos added.

Tortue-1 is about 285 km southwest of Nouakchott in 2,700 m of water. The Atwood Achiever drilled drilled it for US$125 million. Total depth was about 5,100 m.

Hamilton, Bermuda-based Kosmos also said that the Tortue discovery area was renamed Ahmeyim. Kosmos currently owns a 90% interest in Ahmeyim, along with Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier at 10%.

Since 2012, Kosmos has held rights to conduct exploration in the C8, C12 and C13 contract areas under production sharing contracts (PSCs) with the government of Mauritania. In March 2015, Chevron Mauritania Exploration Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corp. (CVX), acquired a 30% nonoperated interest in those contract areas under PSCs.

Chevron can take a 30% interest in Ahmeyim on paying more of its costs related to the Tortue-1 exploration well. The blocks are contiguous, range in water depth between 1,000 m and 3,000 m, and have combined acreage of about 27M sq km.