The Paon-1X deepwater discovery opens up “an entirely new play” for Cote d’Ivoire.
Tullow Oil and its partners, including Anadarko Petroleum, announced today a light-oil discovery at the Paon-1X exploration well offshore Cote d’Ivoire. The Paon-1X discovery well, located in the CI-103 block, encountered more than 100 net ft (31 meters) of oil pay (41° API) in a Turonian-aged reservoir.
“The Paon well marks the first deepwater discovery in the CI-103 block offshore Cote d’Ivoire and opens up an entirely new play for the country and our partnership,” Anadarko senior VP of worldwide exploration Bob Daniels said. “This discovery confirms the Upper Cretaceous fan system present in Ghana extends westward into Cote d’Ivoire and provides significant running room within the CI-103 block. We are very encouraged by these results and look forward to appraising this discovery and testing a number of other identified prospects on our acreage.”
Ocean Rig’s Eirik Raude semi drilled the Paon-1X well to a total depth of approximately 16,700 ft (5,090 meters) in water depths of approximately 7,195 ft (2,193 meters). The partnership plans to suspend the well, following completion of logging operations, for possible future use in appraisal and development operations.
“The discovery of light oil in our first well in CI-103 extends the proven play for oil westwards from our successes in Ghana and is encouraging for our future exploration efforts elsewhere in this license,” said Angus McCoss, Tullow exploration director. “We look forward to further drilling in CI-103 during 2013.”
Tullow is operator and holds a 45% working interest in the CI-103 block. Its partners are Anadarko (40%) and the Societe Nationale d’Operations Petrolieres de Cote d’Ivoire (Petroci) (15%).
