Ntorya 2 Appraisal well in Tanzania’s Ruvuma PSA to spud in December

The Ntorya-2 appraisal well in Tanzania’s Ruvuma PSA is expected to spud in December 2016 according to block operator Aminex Plc with of well services having been contracted to date.

Site preparations for the Ntorya-2 appraisal well have now been completed and mobilisation of the Caroil#2 rig from the Ntorya-1 well site is now underway.

The rig to spud at the Ntorya-2 pad is located approximately 1.5 kilometers to the southwest of the Ntorya-1 discovery well and associated equipment after being transported to the new site after which they will be rigged up and tested, and then undergo any maintenance required before being taken on under the contract.

The Ntorya-2 appraisal well once spudded drilling is expected to take between 45 and 60 days.

According to Aminex Ntorya-2 represents a low risk appraisal well targeting Resources of 153 BCF and follows the discovery well at Ntorya-1, which flow tested at 20 mmcfd with 139 bbls of associate condensate from a 3.5 metre interval at the top of a 20 metre Cretaceous sandstone pay zone at a depth of approximately 2,600 feet.

The Ntorya-1 well has been credited in an independent report by Senergy (GB) Limited with gross 153 billion cubic feet of gas in place, of which 70 bcf are considered gross best estimate contingent resources.  A further gross best estimate of undiscovered gas in place of over 1 trillion cubic feet is attributed to the Ntorya Prospect as a whole and is the target of the Ntorya-2 well which is being drilled updip and in a thicker part of the sand body interpreted on the 2014 seismic data acquired to facilitate appraisal.

The Ntorya discovery lies just 20 kilometres from the 36-inch Mtwara to Dar es Salaam gas pipeline which was commissioned in late 2015 and is transporting produced gas from various fields, including the Kiliwani North Field where Solo holds a 7.125% interest, to gas markets in the north of Tanzania.

Aminex is currently serving a one-year extension for the Mtwara Licence of the Ruvuma Production Sharing Agreement due to expire late December 2016.

“Advancing the Ntorya appraisal and its commercialisation is now a key objective for Solo and we are pleased that rig mobilisation is now underway.  The discovery of gas in high quality Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs in the onshore portion of the Ruvuma Basin represents very significant value and we look forward to confirmation of the spud date in due course,” says Solo Oil chairman Neil Ritson.

Aminex holds a 75% working interest and is the operator while Solo Oil holds a 25% interest in the Ruvuma Petroleum Sharing Agreement (Ruvuma PSA).