SOUTH AFRICA: Tower Resources Enters the Second Exploration Period of the Algoa-Gamtoos license
Tower Resources has announced that its subsidiary Rift Petroleum Ltd, together with Operator and 50% partner New Age Energy Algoa (Pty) Ltd, has now formally agreed to enter the Second Exploration Period of the Algoa-Gamtoos license offshore South Africa. The Company also notes the recent announcements from Total S.A. and Africa Energy Ltd regarding the results of the Luiperd-1X well, which has reported a further significant gas condensate discovery in Block 11B/12B (Total 45% and Operator, Qatar Petroleum 25%, CNR International 20% and Main Street 1549 Proprietary Ltd 10%) located in the Outeniqua basin, offshore South Africa.
The Second Exploration Period of the Algoa-Gamtoos License will run for two years from 17 November 2020, and the work programme during this period will include a further 300 km2 of 3D seismic data acquisition in the license area.
Block 11B/12B is located adjacent to the Algoa-Gamtoos license. The Algoa-Gamtoos license also contains the southern deep-water basin margin of the Outeniqua Basin that was targeted by Total’s Brulpadda and Luiperd-1X wells and is approximately 150 kms along strike to the East.
The Luiperd-1X well encountered 73 meters of good quality net pay in 85 meters of gross sands in the main target interval and, according to Africa Energy which owns 49% of Main Street 1549 Proprietary Ltd, the well reached a maximum constrained flow-rate through a 58/64″ choke of 33 million cubic feet per day of natural gas and 4,320 barrels of condensate per day, an aggregate of approximately 9,820 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The choke configuration could not be increased due to surface equipment limitations. The absolute open flow potential of the well is expected to be significantly higher than the restricted test rates. Current indications are that the Luiperd discovery is larger than the 1 billion boe Brulpadda discovery announced in 2019.
As previously noted, the Brulpadda and Luiperd-1X wells have successfully tested the Lower Cretaceous turbidite fan play of the Outeniqua basin slope, which is interpreted to extend along strike into the southern part of the Algoa-Gamtoos block, in which the Operator, New Age, has identified on 2D seismic a substantial prospect.
New Age has reprocessed the existing 2D seismic data over the license during 2020, which has yielded a considerable improvement in resolution, and expects to have updated analysis and volumetrics available in January 2021, which will also be made available to potential farm-in partners.