Bowleven provides operational update on Cameroon's Etinde Block

LONDON -- Bowleven, the Africa focused oil and gas company traded on AIM, has announced the completion of drilling of the IM-6 appraisal well at the Etinde Block, Cameroon, to a TD of 3,550 m by the block's operator, New Age Cameroon Offshore Petroleum SA.

The primary objective of the well, to delineate the wet gas/water contact location within the intra-Isongo 410 sand reservoir, has been achieved. The joint venture partners believe that sufficient pressure measurements appear to have been taken, which alongside the well log data following further analysis and reservoir modelling, will allow a revised estimate of the condensate bearing wet gas/water reservoir volume in the 410 intra-Isongo sandstone gas condensate discovery. The Etinde field has discovered wet gas in place of c 0.9-1.1 Tcf. The IM-6 well was targeting an incremental 0.7 Tcf of wet gas in place from the 410 horizon.

Whilst there were several gas shows and indications of condensate/light oil whilst drilling the 410 sand package, a preliminary assessment of well log data and reservoir fluid samples taken, indicate that the 410 sand package is largely water saturated at the IM-6 location.

The secondary objective of the well was to explore two additional potential reservoir formations above and below the 410 package: the shallower 510 sandstone formation and the deeper 310 sandstone formation.

Several low-level gas shows were seen when drilling the 510 sand section. However, the well logging tool data and reservoir fluid samples collected indicate that the 510 sand body is water bearing.

The gas logging data collected in the 310 intra-Isongo showed gas shows during drilling. Well log data and reservoir fluid samples taken provide a good indication that, the Middle Isongo sections in particular, are of interest as the two horizons both show condensate rich reservoir fluid samples.

Following preliminary analysis of the well data, the decision has been made not to test the sand packages drilled at the IM-6 location. The well is currently being made ready to be plugged and abandoned.

Ongoing appraisal program

Based on the assessment of the 510 sand package, the Partners have decided not to proceed with the IM-7 well location as this was intended to test any discovery in the 510 sandstone formation. Instead, the drilling rig will be relocated to the backup location, IE-4, which lies to the east of the IM-6 well and northwest of the previously drilled IE-3 well. The IE-4 well will target a previously undrilled sand package "Drillbit" of Intra-Isongo origin, which is believed to be analogous to the 410 sand package at the IM-5 location. Any discovery in this appraisal well, could prove up or derisk a further 0.2 to 0.6 tcf of resources (Drillbit, Bolt, Crowbar sites).