Africa Oil Relinquishes Ethiopia’s South Omo Block

Africa Oil has reported that during the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company elected to relinquish its 15% working interest in the South Omo Block (Ethiopia) at the end of the exploration period.

The block operated by Tullow oil was the location of the unsuccessful Shimela-1 well in Ethiopia drilled to test a prospect in a north-western sub-basin of the vast Chew Bahir basin in 2014 with traces of thermogenic gas shows recorded at 1,900 metres before the well reached a final depth of 1,940 metres.

Another prospect thereafter the Gardim-1 exploration well, drilled on the eastern flank of the Chew Bahir Basin in the South Omo licence was plugged and abandoned after the well intersected lacustrine and volcanic formations, similar to those found in the Shimela-1 well and traces of thermogenic gas

Africa Oil is now concentrating on ranking prospects located in operated Lakes Abaya-Chamo Rift Basin Block where 603 km 2D seismic have been acquired and drilling is 2-3 years away.