Kosmos Energy makes offshore gas discovery in Mauritania

Kosmos Energy has claimed to have pulled off a major offshore gas discovery in Mauritania following the drilling of the Orca-1 exploration well in the BirAllah area.

The US-based upstream company said that results from the drilling campaign continue the 100% success rate from nine wells that are targeting the inboard gas trend in Mauritania and Senegal.

According to Kosmos Energy, the Orca-1 well, which previously targeted the untested Albian play, surpassed pre-drill expectations by intersecting 36 meters of net gas pay in excellent quality reservoirs.

Apart from that, the exploration well extended the Cenomanian play fairway by confirming 11 meters of net gas pay in a down-structure position in comparison with the original Marsouin-1 discovery well, which was drilled on the crest of the anticline, said Kosmos Energy.

Located nearly 125km offshore Mauritania, the Orca-1 exploration well was drilled in nearly 2,510 meters of water to a total measured depth of about 5,266 meters.

The location of Orca-1, nearly 7.5km from the crest of the anticline, proved the structural and also stratigraphic trap of the Orca prospect, which is estimated to have 13 TCF of mean gas initially in place (GIIP).

Kosmos Energy reports major offshore gas discovery in Mauritania. Photo courtesy of KOSMOS ENERGY LTD.

Kosmos Energy said that the Orca-1 and Marsouin-1 wells are believed to have de-risked up to 50 TCF of GIIP from the Cenomanian and Albian plays in the BirAllah region, which should make it more than sufficient resource to call for a world-scale LNG project.

Additionally, a deeper, untested Aptian play has also been identified within the area and nearby structures.

Andrew G. Inglis – Chairman and CEO of Kosmos Energy, commenting on the offshore gas discovery in Mauritania, said: “The Orca-1 well concludes a very strong year for exploration and appraisal in Mauritania and Senegal. Orca-1, which we believe is the largest deepwater hydrocarbon discovery in the world so far this year, further demonstrates the world-scale quality of the Mauritania gas basin.

“With sufficient resource in place at the BirAllah hub, Kosmos looks forward to working with the Government of Mauritania and its partners to bring benefits to the people of Mauritania through the development of cost competitive, low carbon intensity projects.”

Kosmos Energy said that following the offshore gas discovery in Mauritania and its scale and materiality, the company will extend the timeline of its sell-down process in the country and also in neighboring Senegal to 2020, giving potential bidders more time to analyze the new data.

The American upstream oil company is partnered by SMHPM and BP in the BirAllah gas hub.