Vaalco Energy has started its 2019/2020 drilling campaign and spud the Etame 9P appraisal wellbore at the Etame field offshore Gabon.
Vaalco last month said it would start its Gabon drilling campaign during September, using the Topaz Driller jack-up rig.
Vaalco said in an update on Friday, September 13 that drilling of the Etame 9P appraisal wellbore is expected to take approximately four weeks, after which the company will start drilling the Etame 9H development well targeting the Gamba reservoir.
According to the company, the objective of the Etame 9P appraisal wellbore is to test the Dentale reservoirs beneath the Etame field. The company estimates that there could be up to 4.6 million gross barrels of recoverable oil present in the Dentale reservoirs beneath the Etame field.
If these resources are present in the Dentale, the company will need to drill additional wells to exploit these reservoirs.
As previously reported, Vaalco contracted the Vantage Drilling-owned Topaz jack-up drilling rig to execute the 2019/2020 drilling campaign, which will include two appraisal wellbores and up to three development wells.
“We have entered into the first phase of our growth strategy starting with the Etame 9P appraisal wellbore where we are seeking to de-risk significant resources in the Dentale formation with a view to future exploitation opportunities. The resources we are targeting were identified in oil-bearing Dentale reservoirs encountered in wells drilled beneath the Gamba reservoir at the Etame field. The Etame 9P appraisal wellbore represents the first of many opportunities where we are attempting to create substantial value for our shareholders by converting resources to reserves in a cost-effective manner,” Cary Bounds, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer stated.
