Sasol has discovered gas in the Bonito-1 exploration well, in Mozambique, on the PT5-C licence area.
Sasol Mozambique PT5-C drilled the well, local regulator Instituto Nacional de Petroleo (INP) reported last week. The company began drilling the well on March 25, INP said, and completed on April 5, reaching a measured depth of 1,934 metres.
INP said Sasol had discovered gas in sandstone reservoirs of the Lower Grudja formation.
The licence is adjacent to the Pande and Temane fields. The Bonito well is the second drilled in the licence. The first failed to find hydrocarbons.
Sasol will go ahead to assess results from the Bonito-1 and determine its commercial viability. The South African company has a 70% stake in the area, while Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) has 30%.
The Sasol success comes as Eni Mozambico is drilling its first exploration well offshore on Area A5-A. The licence is offshore the Angoche district, in Nampula.
Eni is using the West Capella rig to drill the well. The Italian company acquired the licence in 2018, under the fifth bid round.
The Raia-1 well is the first in this area offshore Mozambique and hopes to find oil.
Eni Mozambico has 49.5% in the licence, while QatarEnergy Mozambique has 25.5%, ENH 15% and Sasol Petroleum Mozambique 10.0%.
A recent note from S&P Global Commodity Insights said Eni was targeting Eocene deep marine clastics of the Cheringoma Formation. Should the company be successful, the well “could trigger a new wave of exploration activity and investment in the Zambezi delta, starting with ExxonMobil’s drilling commitments in the neighbouring Area A5-B licence, where ExxonMobil are expected to drill the Angoche Prospect (Angoche-1 HIW)”.
Given the risks involved and the long-term challenges, S&P said Eni would be targeting a discovery of at least 300 million barrels recoverable.