Natural gas discovery offshore Tanzania

Norway’s Statoil and US company ExxoMobil have announced the discovery of an additional 2 - 3 trillion ft³ of natural gas in the Mronge-1 well in Tanzania, bringing the total of in-place volumes up to 17 - 20 trillion ft³ in Block 2.

Mronge-1 is drilled by the drillshipDiscoverer Americas, and the site is located 20 kilometres north of the Zafarani discovery, and at a depth of 2 500 m. Following the success of four initial drilling projects in the area, further campaigns were launched in a bid to capitalise on natural gas reserves offshore Tanzania, said Nick Maden, senior vice president for Statoil's exploration activities in the Western hemisphere. “The new drilling programme also allows us to fully explore the remaining exploration potential in Block 2," he said.

The Mronge-1 well discovered gas at two separate levels. The main accumulation is at the same stratigraphic level as proven in the Zafarani-1 well in Block 2. The Zafarani-1 discovery was made in 2012 and was a play opener for the block.

The secondary accumulation was encountered in a separate, younger gas bearing reservoir, in a play which previously has not been tested in Block. The Mronge-1 discovery is the venture's fifth discovery in Block 2. It was preceded by three successful high-impact gas discoveries during the first drilling phase with Tangawizi-1, Zafarani-1 and Lavani-1, and a deeper discovery in a separate reservoir in Lavani-2.

Adapted from press release by Ted Monroe

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/06122013/statoil_and_exxonmobil_announce_tanzania_natural_gas_discovery/