The company had drilled the Bee Eater-1 well to a total depth of 4,100m in a water depth of 1,067m, 9.5km away from the original oil discovery Narina-1 to test the Turonian fan and intersected 48m of Narina equivalent oil bearing Turonian sandstone as expected.
The reservoir permeabilities over the hydrocarbon bearing section of the well were lower than expected and further examination of the section is underway.
Intersecting Turonian oil play at the well away from the Narina-1 discovery indicates the potential of the oil bearing part of the 300km² Turonian fan.
African Petroleum chief executive officer Karl Thompson said that "after a substantial 9.5 km step out, the success at Bee Eater-1 indicates that the Turonian oil play discovered in Narina-I extends over a very large area."
The well also found 14m of Albian oil bearing sandstone in the Darter prospect spread over 200km² and it encountered oil bearing sandstone, down dip from the crest of the structure, indicating a potentially large oil column of 800m above the well location.
African Petroleum holds 100% interest in block LB-9.
