The company carried out the drilling of the DRNEM-1 well to find additional oil resources in the pre-salt Gamba and Dentale Formations in the greater Ruche area.

Using the Borr Norve jackup unit, drilling of the well was done in water depths of 115 meters.

The DRNEM-1 well, which is located nearly 3.5 km north east of the Ruche field, reached a vertical depth of 3,400 meters within the Dentale Formation.

Panoro CEO John Hamilton said: “This is another exciting oil discovery at Dussafu, where since 2011 we have had an outstanding drilling success rate with 9 consecutive well penetrations finding oil.

“We are pleased by this positive result and we are now moving forward with the appraisal programme”.

According to log evaluation, pressure data and fluid samples, nearly 15 meters of good quality oil pay was identified in the Gamba Formation and 25 meters of oil pay in stacked reservoirs within the Dentale Formation.

Further technical evaluation is being conducted to appraise the oil discovery in the DRNEM-1 well.

Panoro said that the resources may be developed along with the existing Ruche field discoveries made in 2011.

The firm said: “The forward plan includes a sidetrack which will appraise the Dentale sands in an updip location and the lateral extent of the Gamba reservoir. Panoro expects to provide a further update in September.”

In June, the company completed drilling of the second development well, DTM-3H, located in the Tortue field, within the Dussafu PSC, offshore Gabon.

Panoro said that DTM-3H was drilled and completed as a horizontal production well in the Gamba reservoir and encountered a long horizontal section of oil saturated Gamba sandstone.