Australia’s Invictus Energy has opted to follow up on its Mukuyu discovery, rather than go for exploration at Baobab.
The company expects to spud the Mukuyu-2 early in the third quarter of this year, 2023. Meanwhile, the rig it used for the Mukuyu-1 is warm stacked on site in Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Basin.
“We will take the learnings from the successful Mukuyu-1/ST1 well to optimize the well design for the drilling conditions encountered and the ability to evaluate multiple hydrocarbon bearing intervals,” said Invictus managing director Scott Macmillan.
“Post well analysis of Mukuyu-1 indicates potential for significant gas columns in the Pebbly Arkose and Upper Angwa formations, based on significantly elevated pressures in interpreted gas bearing sands above normal hydrostatic gradient.”
Scott Macmillan
The appraisal well also intends to test deeper potential in the Upper Angwa formation. The initial drilling campaign did not encounter this projected potential as the formation was thicker than estimated.
Invictus has begun the tendering process for additional long lead items and well services. In the intervening time, progress on these will determine the exact timing of Mukuyu-2.
According to the company, upgrade work and maintenance will begin on the Exalo Rig 202 in April, following the end of the wet season.
Macmillan noted that the company has received industry interest in participating in the Cabora Bassa project. “The company is considering a range of options to manage forward exploration, appraisal and development programs,” he said.
“We are also planning an infill 2D seismic survey in EPO 1848/49 to mature multiple leads into drillable prospects along trend from Mukuyu, and the highly prospective Basin Margin play,” Macmillan said. Invictus expects seismic to start in the second quarter of this year.
13 Potential Hydrocarbon-Bearing Zones
Recently, the Independent upstream oil and gas company Invictus Energy identified 13 potential hydrocarbon-bearing zones and initiated planning to commence its Phase 2 drilling campaign at its 80%-owned Special Grant (SG) 4571 licence in the Cabora Bassa Basin in northern Zimbabwe.
Having completed operations at its Mukuyu-1 ST1 well, 11 potential hydrocarbon bearing zones totaling a combined 225m have been identified at the Upper Angwa Formation, where wireline log interpretation has identified a porosity of 15%.
Gas saturation of up to 90% has also been identified in selected areas at the Upper Angwa Formation, while two zones have been identified in the Pebbly Arkose sections, which feature an indicated porosity of 20%.
“The Mukuyu-1 and ST1 drill campaign has been a great success,” stated Invictus Energy Managing Director, Scott Macmillan, adding, “This is an outstanding result and virtually unprecedented for the first well in a frontier basin, establishing a new petroleum province and substantially de-risking the Company’s wider acreage in the Carbora Bassa Basin.”
Meanwhile, Invictus Energy has been assessing results from its geological modeling of the Mukuyu-1 and Baobab-1 wells in an attempt to explore further prospects under the wider Cabora Bassa acreage as onshore drilling contract, Exalo Drilling’s, Rig 202 – which Invictus Energy has used for it Mukuyu-1 operations undergoes maintenance and upgrade work ahead of Phase 2.
Highlighting further prospects for the basin, post-drill results from the Mukuyu-1 well have indicated a proven working hydrocarbon system and the presence of gas-condensate while showing the potential for light oil as evidenced by elevated mud gas and fluorescence and wireline log interpretation.
“We are still interpreting all the data, with results to be integrated into the seismic data and basin models to guide future well locations and exploration prospect selection,” Macmillan concluded.
SG 4571 is situated in the most prospective portion of the Cabra Bassa Basin and covers 250,000 acres, with the Mukuyu-1 well boasting an independently estimated 20 trillion cubic feet and 845 million barrels of conventional gas-condensate.
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