Africa-Press – Angola. The drilling of Sonangol’s first onshore oil well, in Luanda, starts within a week, the period expected for the completion of the installation of the drilling rig, the Angolan state oil company announced friday.
The installation, which is 95% finished physically, marks the reactivation of oil and natural gas production in the Onshore Kwanza Basin, located in the municipality of Cabo Ledo, municipality of Quissama, province of Luanda.
The resumption of crude oil exploration in the so-called “Well Tobias-13” (Spude date) comes 27 years after the deactivation of oil operations in Block KON-11, which has been inactive since 1996.
As a result of the reactivation of oil activity in that location, it is estimated that the well’s reservoir holds 66 million barrels of light oil, at a depth of around 750 metres, according to the chairman of the Executive Committee (PCE) of the Business, Exploration and Sonangol Producer, Ricardo Van-Deste.
Speaking to the press, at the end of a field visit, guided by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET), Diamantino Azevedo, the PCE highlighted that at least ten million dollars will be needed to invest in the operation of this reservoir, a amount that will be used to pay for all platform services and logistics.
According to the official, the purpose of drilling Tobias-13 is to test the potential of this reservoir, which will relaunch Sonangol’s onshore exploration and production activities.
Based on the results of that well, he said, the process of evaluating the development concept will follow, as well as sizing the production facilities.
He said that the resumption of operations at Tobias is part of Sonangol’s exploration and production strategy, to be developed by 2027.
He stated that this strategy also includes the valuation and development of human capital, and the operation of the well will serve as an opportunity for national junior and senior technicians to carry out assessment and planning activities for the reservoir.
In turn, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonangol, Sebastião Martins, said that, if the Tobias drilling yields positive results, the oil company could increase its oil and gas production capacity for the country.
According to the manager, all the human and logistical conditions have been created for drilling to begin within a week, with only rehearsal or testing of some equipment remaining.
He considered that drilling on land is much cheaper than at sea, depending on the specificity of each operation.
For Sebastião Martins, the Tobias drilling represents a valuable contribution to the relaunch of onshore oil production in Angola, a fact that will boost and mobilize related operations, giving young people the opportunity to work.
As for the protection of the environment, he referred that before the start of operations in that locality, an environmental impact study was carried out, in order to avoid damage to Quissama Park.
“Whenever an operation is carried out in a certain area, Sonangol creates the necessary conditions to guarantee the protection of the environment”, he clarified.
He assured that, in addition to Well Tobias-13, installed in a work area of 100 square meters, Sonangol is also preparing a second reservoir in the same location, to explore oil and gas on land.
For his part, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET), Diamantino Azevedo, clarified that the drilling of the Tobias Well is part of the bidding strategy for blocks, a measure that plans to bid for more than 50 oil blocks by 2025.
He augured that the resumption of oil activity in the Onshore Kwanza Basin will serve for the discovery of more oil with the desired quality, to complement the exploration carried out at sea (offshore).
Like the Kwanza Basin, which resumed onshore operations, oil exploration and production is also carried out in the onshore basins of Cabinda, Zaire and Congo.
Furthermore, the minister added that studies are already underway in the provinces of Cuando Cubango, Cunene, Malanje, Uíge and Moxico, regions with signs of the existence of hydrocarbons.
Located around 120 kilometers from the center of the capital city of Angola, Block KON11 of the Onshore Kwanza Basin is located in an area of 1,49 square kilometres.
In addition to Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção (30%), as operator, the consortium responsible for carrying out the operations of this Block is made up of the companies Brites Oil & Gás, with 25%, Grupo Simples Oil and Atlas Petroleum Exploration Worldwide, which hold 20% each, as well as Ómega Risk Solutions Angola, with 5%, respectively.
So far, Sonangol’s oil production is carried out mainly in shallow and deep waters, offshore, an operation that entails more production costs compared to onshore.
Production aligned with the construction of refineries
According to Diamantino Azevedo, all oil production activity is aligned with the strategy of refining these commodities, to feed the current Luanda Refinery and future ones to be built in the provinces of Cabinda, Zaire and Benguela (Lobito).
On the occasion, the minister clarified that the works at the Cabinda Refinery are proceeding normally and “never stopped”, despite facing some difficulties originated, fundamentally, by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine, a situation that has already been overcome. by project operators.
He referred that these undertakings, in addition to the project to improve and increase the production of gasoline at the Luanda Refinery, will guarantee a stable and sufficient supply to reach a refining capacity of around 420 thousand barrels/day, a fact that will allow reaching self-reliance. sufficiency of petroleum derivatives in the country, as well as having a surplus for export.
Questioned about the entry of new investors into the national oil market, the official said that the sector has received requests from operators to explore oil in the country, in addition to relying on financial partners.
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