Africa-focused Tullow Oil reported Thursday that its Calao-1X exploration well in the CI-103 license, offshore Côte d'Ivoire has found hydrocarbons but not in commercial quantities.
Tullow, which is the operator of the CI-103 with a 30-percent interest, said it encountered thin condensate and gas-bearing reservoirs in an Upper Cretaceous deepwater channel system. Good quality reservoir sandstones were discovered, but they were water-bearing. Approximately 16 feet of condensate/gas-bearing sandstones were found.
After a sidetrack – which encountered good-quality water bearing sandstones in another zone – the Calao-1X well is expected to be plugged and abandoned following the completion of logging operations.
The well is the second deepwater exploration well drilled in the CI-103 license.
Commenting in a company statement, Tullow Exploration Director Angus McCoss said:
"While this is not the result we were aiming for, both the condensate and the reservoirs that we encountered have added substantially to our knowledge in this frontier area. The appraisal of the light oil discovered down-dip in Paon-1X in 2012 will continue later this year with the drilling of the Paon-2A well.
"Having sold some of our equity for carries in the CI-103 licence – a decision that was taken prior to the drilling of the Calao-1X well – our stake in both the Calao-1X and Paon-2A wells has been consequently reduced."
