UK-based independent oil and gas company Savannah Petroleum has made oil discovery in the Kunama-1 exploration well located in Agadem Rift Basin (ARB), South East Niger.

Oil Pumps

Image: An onshore drilling ring. Photo: courtesy of Dani Simmonds/Freeimages.com.

The oil find at the Kunama-1 well, which was drilled by the GW 215 Rig to a total measured depth of 2,460m, marks the firm’s third consecutive discovery in its maiden exploration campaign in the R3 portion of the R3/R4 PSC Area in ARB.

According to preliminary results, the Kunama-1 well encountered a total estimated 9m of net oil bearing reservoir sandstones in the E1 and E5 reservoir units within the primary Eocene Sokor Alternances objective.

The company said that the wireline logs indicate the reservoir properties to be good quality.

As part of a batch campaign, the firm is planning to perform production test later in the year on the well, which is currently being suspended for future re-entry.

Upon completion of the testing program, the firm intends to install a downhole completion assembly to Amdigh-1 to enable the well to function as a production well in the future.

Savannah is also planning to spud the Eridal-1 exploration well located on the R3 portion of the R3/R4 PSC Area 6km from Amdigh-1.

As part of this plan, the GW 215 rig is being mobilized to the Eridal-1 well site, where preparation is in the final stages of completion.

Savannah noted that the well aims to evaluate potential oil pay in the Eocene Sokor Alternances as the primary target while the secondary target of potential oil pay in the Eocene Upper Sokor is being considered as upside.

Savannah Petroleum CEO Andrew Knott said: “The Kunama discovery, following on from Amdigh and Bushiya, provides further encouragement for our plans to establish an early production scheme in Niger, which we expect to be able to provide an update on later in this quarter.

“The improved understanding of the R3 geology we have gained from the outcome of these wells has also given us the confidence to extend our campaign to target the Eridal prospect, located in close proximity to Amdigh, and we expect to provide updates on further potential additional drilling activity over the course of the coming months.”