Geology
S10 ORA 1 2014 Morocco Geology_Layout 1 2/6/2014 1:54 PM Page 48
Swala Energy upbeat in Pangani basin THE 100-KM-LONG 2D seismic survey carried out by Swala Oil & Gas Limited, in the Pangani basin in Kilimanjaro region has given hope of natural gas and oil in the area. According to ceo, Dr David Ridge, the 2D seismic survey commenced mid-November and was scheduled to terminate on the 20 December. During this time the company has acquired a licence to 200 km of 2D seismic over the Mvungwe and Moshi basins. Results from the survey show that the Moshi basin to the north of the license area, appears to be a deep basin with sedimentary fill of probable Neogene age, indicating a shallow depth of burial and positive for oil search. Further evidence from the seismic survey suggests that the basin is fault-bounded, some 25 km wide, and with basin fill to between 2,000 and 3,000 metres depth. “The Mvungwe basin, to the south of the license area, is still being processed but initial results suggest that the basin is shallower, at less than 1,000 metres deep, and contains sediments of probable Neogene age,” he said. He added that shallow basins may be quite productive with the right heat flows and the company will now continue with its planned basin modeling programme to determine whether the regional high heat flows would allow hydrocarbon generation in Mvungwe at these relatively shallow depths of burial. Completion of the Pangani survey marks the end of Swala’s 2013 seismic programme in Tanzania, during which over 500 km of seismic probing has been shot over five basins within its two licenses. “The results of the Pangani survey follow positive results received from the survey over the KilosaKilombero license as has been previously announced,” Dr Ridge noted. Results from the 2D acquisition over Pangani are highly encouraging, especially in the northern Moshi basin where we appear to have defined another Neogene basin,” the geologist intoned. “We now aim to consolidate our understanding of the two licenses by completing the seismic interpretation over Pangani, the basin modeling over Mvungwe and the analysis of geochemical samples collected from our basins as part of our seismic survey,” he elaborated. Swala Energy Limited is an Australian independent oil and gas exploration company exploring the East African Rift System. It currently holds substantial equity in assets in Tanzania and Kenya and has an active business development program in Sub-Saharan Africa.
ERHC hires BGP for Kenya 2D shoot HOUSTON'S ERHC ENERGY has hired BGP for a 1000-km 2D seismic survey over its block 11A in northwest Kenya. The explorer said BGP would start data BGP lined up for Kenya seismic shoot. acquisition in the spring for the seismic shoot, which comes after the completion of an airbone full tensor gravity gradiometry survey spanning 14,943 line kilometres of the Lokichar basin acreage. ERHC Energy’s 2D seismic survey in Block 11A will reportedly be premised on structural mapping of prospective basins enabled by the explorer’s recently completed FTG survey of the block, which had covered 14,943.8-line kilometres. The US independent said it was awaiting final regulatory approval for a farm-out agreement signed in November “with a renowned integrated oil and gas company.”
TGS launches new frontier seismic surveys TGS IS TO perform new seismic surveys offshore East Africa. The CSM-14 and AN-14 2D surveys, covering 8,847 km offshore Madagascar, will be acquired respectively by the M/V Geo Arctic and the BGP Challenger. TGS will process the data using its Clari-Fi broadband processing technology with final data available to clients in 4Q 2014. The company has also signed a letter of award to deploy the seismic vessel Polarcus Naila. The six-month charter is expected to start in April.
Dana kicks off Cameroon 2D shoot DANA PETROLEUM HAS kicked off a 350-sq km 2D seismic survey at its Bakassi West shallow-water block off southwest Cameroon. The explorer, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korean National Oil Corporation, said that BGP would acquire the data at the block over the next six months. Dana Petroleum hopes to sink its first well on the Rio Del Ray basin licence in late 2015 or early 2016. The explorer operates the Bakassi West production sharing contract on a 55 per cent stake with partners Calgary's Madison Petrogas on 35 per cent and local player SoftRock Oil & Gas on 10 per cent.
3D seismic survey begins offshore Namibia PANCONTINENTAL OIL & GAS has announced that a 3D seismic survey has commenced in the Licence area EL0037 offshore Namibia. According to the explorer, the 3D acquisition is to take place in an area of approximately of 3,000 sq km and a second acquisition phase will cover approximately 1,000 km of 2D data. The total acquisition is expected to take up to 120 days. The survey is managed by the EL0037 joint venture operator Tullow Oil, using the seismic acquisition vessel Polarcus Asima.
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Tullow Oil farmed-in to EL 0037 in September 2013 and reportedly identified a number of geological leads to be covered by the 3D survey. Pancontinental Oil & Gas will retain a 30 per cent free-carried interest through the surveys and one optional well to be drilled by Tullow Oil. The Namibia EL0037 consortium consists of operator Tullow Kudu Limited with 65 per cent. Paragon Oil & Gas carries the remaining five per cent interest.
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