Geofizyka Toruń has completed a 2D seismic study for Sasol in Mozambique, demonstrating that exploration in the East African state is progressing despite some disruption stemming from coronavirus.
The Polish company, a subsidiary of PGNiG, said it had completed its shoot on the PT5-C block, in the Inhambane Province. The company said its work had begun in April 2019, with demining and clearance work, and involved the acquisition of more than 2,000 km of 2D seismic.
Geofizyka Toruń described the conditions as “demanding”, but said that work had been carried out safely, with not lost time incidents.
The company has been working on projects for Sasol in Mozambique since 2016. It had acquired 145 km of 2D and 162 square km of 3D on the Inhassoro Central, Inhassoro South and Pande licences.
Reports in Poland’s Nowosci, in mid-May, said some of Geofizyka Toruń’s employees had been stranded in Mozambique because of coronavirus travel restrictions. The company did not respond to requests for comment on whether it had managed to repatriate its employees.
PGNiG’s report on 2019 noted Geofizyka Toruń had acquired seismic data in Mozambique last year, in addition to Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Hungary, Georgia and Egypt.
Sasol signed a contract on the PT5-C licence in 2018, after a public tended in October 2014, under the fifth bidding round. The first phase, which runs for four years, required the acquisition of 1,600 km of 2D seismic and the drilling of two wells.
The block is close to Sasol’s historic areas in Mozambique and should the company find gas on the block it would likely be able to export this into South Africa via existing infrastructure.
Sasol also has an interest in an offshore licence in Mozambique, A5-A, offshore Angoche. The licence for this was also signed in October 2018.