BW Energy Identifies Up to 9 Million Barrels of Oil at Gabon’s Dussafu Field
BW Energy has confirmed commercial oil volumes in two appraisal wells at the Dussafu field offshore Gabon, with combined gross recoverable resources estimated at between 8 million and 9 million barrels.
The results from the 10P2 and 10P1 appraisal wells support plans to drill two additional production wells, with the first expected to be incorporated into the company’s ongoing MaBoMo Phase 2 drilling campaign.
The 10P2 well encountered a 30-metre oil column in the Gamba reservoir. Formation evaluation confirmed favourable reservoir characteristics, including good porosity and permeability, while wireline logging and pressure testing indicated the potential for an initial production rate exceeding 5,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) gross.
BW Energy estimates that the 10P2 location could deliver approximately 6 million barrels of additional gross oil recovery.
The company also expects a production well at the site to achieve a payback period of less than one year.
The second appraisal well, 10P1, encountered a 16-metre oil column in a separate accumulation.
Evaluation confirmed good reservoir quality and the presence of movable oil, supporting plans for an additional production well.
The timing of its development will be determined alongside other activities at Dussafu, including the planned Bourdon Phase 1 project.
BW Energy Chief Executive Officer Carl K. Arnet said the successful results strengthened the company’s exploration and appraisal record, bringing its tally to 13 successful wells out of 14 drilled as operator.
He added that drilling the appraisal wells ahead of the planned production wells had confirmed additional recoverable volumes and created an opportunity to incorporate a potentially high-value well with a short payback period into the current programme.
The drilling rig is moving to the MaBoMo facility, where the company plans to replace an electrical submersible pump in an existing Hibiscus production well before drilling four MaBoMo Phase 2 production wells and a fifth well targeting the newly appraised 10P2 accumulation.
Each new production well is expected to deliver an initial gross output of approximately 5,000 bopd. Once the wells are brought online, the MaBoMo Phase 2 campaign could add up to 20,000 bopd gross at peak production. BW Energy is targeting first oil from the campaign in the first quarter of 2027.
Following completion of the MaBoMo drilling programme, the company plans to drill an infill well at the Tortue field before advancing the Bourdon Phase 1 development, which is targeting first oil in the first quarter of 2028.
Further appraisal drilling at the Walt Whitman prospect and in the Bourdon area is planned for 2028, with future development decisions dependent on the results.
BW Energy holds a 73.5% working interest in the Dussafu licence, while Panoro Energy holds 17.5% and Gabon Oil Company owns the remaining 9%.
The latest results support BW Energy’s longer-term ambition to increase gross production from the Dussafu licence to between 30,000 and 45,000 barrels of oil per day, as the company seeks to expand output through additional drilling and phased field developments.
