Representing the world’s final frontier for hydrocarbons, exploration and production companies operating in Africa have been accelerating oil and gas exploration activities, with significant discoveries having been made in the past few years, thus marking the beginning of a promising decade for the continent.
In west Africa, the largest contributor to discovered resources on the continent, the region’s 2016-2022 discoveries have represented some of the biggest on the entire continent.
Yakaar-Teranga Conventional Gas Field: Senegal
Situated in ultra-deepwater offshore Senegal, the Yakaar-Teranga Phase One is a conventional gas development operated by oil and gas supermajor bp. Discovered in 2016 and with commercial operation expected for 2024, the field is expected to recover up to 500 million barrels of oil equivalent and is estimated to hold over 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas.
BirAllah Conventional Gas Field: Mauritania
Straddling the Senegalese-Mauritanian maritime border and neighboring the massive Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas field, the BirAllah Conventional Gas Field holds an estimated 13 tcf of natural gas. Within Mauritania’s portion of the field, Block C8 holds the Orca-1 zone and well, which initial estimates placed as the largest deepwater hydrocarbon discovery in the world in 2019.
Cuica Oil Field: Angola
March 2021 saw the discovery of the Cuica deepwater field, offshore Angola. Estimated to contain between 200 and 250 million barrels of oil in place, the Cuica field in Angola is situated within the Cabaça development area in Block 15/06, at water depths of up to 500 meters. The field’s production capacity is estimated to reach up to 10,000 barrels of oil per day.
Eban-Akoma Complex: Ghana
Located on the Eban prospect, approximately 50km offshore Ghana in Cape Three Points Block 4, the Eban-Akoma Complex has estimated reserves ranging between 500 and 700 million barrels of oil equivalent. The Eban-1X well was drilled using the Saipem 10,000 drillship to a total depth of 4,179 meters, with the discover in 2021 and production testing data suggesting a deliverability potential of 5,000 barrels of oil per day.
Baleine Discovery: Ivory Coast
In July 2022, Italian oil and gas company, Eni, announced the successful drilling and testing of the Baleine East-1X well, located within Block CI-802, offshore Ivory Coast, with results increasing original estimates from two billion barrels of oil and 2.4 tcf of associated gas, to 2.5 billion barrels and 3.3 tcf. Situated 5km east of the Baleine-1X discovery well, the East-1X well was drilled to a final depth of 3,165 meters in water depths of 1,150 meters.
