KEY POINTS
- Total and Conoil discovered gas offshore Nigeria on OML
- 136.Agge-3B.T1 tested at 21 million cubic feet of gas daily.
- Conoil owns 60% of OML 136, while Total holds 40%
Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited and Conoil Producing Limited have made a new hydrocarbon discovery in the offshore waters of western Nigeria, adding to the country’s known oil and gas resources.
The discovery was made with the Agge-3B.T1 well in the central part of Oil Mining Lease 136 (OML 136). The well was drilled into an undrilled compartment of the Agge structure at a water depth of about 140 metres.
The well reached a total depth of 2,710 metres and encountered several gas-bearing reservoirs with a combined gross thickness of more than 150 metres.
The discovery was reported in 2010 and is being republished here from the source material supplied by Proshare.
A production test conducted on the lower intervals of the well produced about 21 million cubic feet of gas per day.
The test was carried out using a 36/64-inch choke, providing an early indication of the well’s gas-producing potential.
At the time of the discovery, further studies were planned to determine the most suitable development options for Agge-3B.T1 and other discoveries within the block.
The discovery was therefore not presented as an immediate addition to Nigeria’s commercial production. Further technical and commercial assessments were required before any development decision could be made.
The OML 136 licence was operated by Conoil Producing, which held a 60% interest in the asset. Total E&P Nigeria owned the remaining 40% interest.
The discovery strengthened the partners’ exploration activities offshore Nigeria and added another potentially significant gas-bearing structure to the block.
Total said the discovery also supported its broader objective of developing Nigerian technical expertise and increasing the participation of local companies in oil and gas projects.
Total’s wider Nigerian operations
At the time, Total had been involved in oil and gas exploration and production in Nigeria for nearly five decades.
The company operated several producing assets, including OMLs 58, 99, 100 and 102, through its joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, now NNPC Ltd.
Its producing fields included Obagi, Obite, Amenam-Kpono, Ofon and Odudu.
Total also operated OML 130, which hosts the Akpo deepwater development. Production from Akpo began in March 2009, marking another major milestone in the company’s deepwater activities in Nigeria.
Total also held interests in several non-operated ventures, including the NNPC, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total E&P Nigeria and Agip Oil Company joint venture, as well as the SNEPCO joint venture involving the Bonga field.
The company was also a major participant in Nigeria’s gas industry, supplying both domestic and international markets.
At the time of the report, Total held a 15% interest in Nigeria LNG and was also involved in the proposed Brass LNG project, in which it held a 17% stake.
Beyond the discovery itself, Total said its projects were contributing to local employment and the development of Nigerian expertise in deepwater oil and gas operations.
The company said its Akpo project had generated more than 11 million man-hours in Nigeria and was expected to reach about 15 million man-hours upon completion.
The Usan project was also expected to generate a significant share of its planned man-hours in Nigeria, while basic engineering work for the Egina field on OML 130 was being carried out in the country.
Total said it would continue working with Nigerian companies to develop expertise required for deepwater projects, particularly in the Niger Delta.
