Tullow Oil has revealed that the Mahogany Deep-2 appraisal well offshore Ghana confirmed the southerly extent of the main Jubilee reservoirs in the West Cape Three Points Block and intersected two new light oil accumulations.

The company reported that good quality reservoirs were encountered in the Mahogany Deep section but were water bearing at this location.

Mahogany Deep-2, drilled 3km from Mahogany-3, is the furthest down-dip Jubilee well in the West Cape Three Points licence. Results of drilling, wireline logging and samples of reservoir fluid indicate that the well has encountered good quality hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir sandstones in three zones.

An interval of 12 metres net pay has proved an extension of the main Jubilee reservoirs. In addition, a new shallower accumulation, with two metres net pay, was encountered and supports exploration prospectivity in undrilled areas to the south and east.

In total, the well intersected 53 metres of net reservoir sandstones, 20 metres of which were in the Mahogany Deep section. These were found to be water bearing at this location but are not connected to the Mahogany Deep accumulation at Mahogany-3. Further extensions to the Mahogany Deep accumulation may exist to the south and east of Mahogany-3.

A new reservoir was also encountered in a deeper stratigraphic level beneath the Mahogany Deep section and an oil sample was recovered from a one metre zone which has not been encountered in any other wells in the West Cape Three Points licence to date, Tullow said.

The new accumulations discovered by the well will now be evaluated using the recently reprocessed high resolution 3D seismic data and may be the target of future drilling. Further potential extensions of the Jubilee field and associated prospectivity will be drilled early in 2010.

The Aban Abraham positioned drill-ship drilled Mahogany Deep-2 to the current depth of 4,326 metres in water depths of 1,354 metres.

Tullow Oil has a 22.89% interest in the West Cape Three Points licence and its partners are Kosmos Energy (operator) and a subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum, (30.87% each), the EO Group (3.5%), Sabre Oil & Gas (1.85%) and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (10% carried interest).

Angus McCoss, exploration director of Tullow, said: “Confirming the southerly extent of the main Jubilee reservoirs and encountering two new oil pools takes us another step closer to realising the full potential of the Greater Jubilee Area. Results from the current exploratory appraisal campaign are being integrated to define the resource base and the future phases of development beyond first oil in Q4 2010.

“We also look forward to continued exploration and appraisal success in Ghana and throughout the Equatorial Atlantic region where Tullow has built a commanding acreage position. We are currently drilling the potentially high-impact Tweneboa-2 appraisal well and expect to report on its result in February.”