GNPC Announces More Oil Discovery

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on Friday announced the discovery of more off-shore oil in the western part of the country. It said in a statement issued by the Corporate Affairs Department that, the oil was discovered in Wawa-1 exploration well, located in the Deepwater Tano (DWT) Block offshore Ghana, discovered 20 metres (65 feet) of gas-condensate column and 13 metres (42 feet) of oil. It said samples of oil recovered from the well indicated that it was of �high quality of API values of between 38 and 44 degrees�. It said pressure data indicated the Wawa discovery is separate and distinct from the adjacent Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) cluster of discoveries. The Wawa-1 exploration was drilled 10 kilometres north of the Enyenra-3A well in water depths of approximately 587 meters (1,926 feet. The well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 3,322 meters (10,899 feet). The GNPC said it was planned that further evaluation of this well would be conducted after which it would be suspended for possible future use in appraisal and development operations. The statement quoted Mr Thomas Manu, Director of Exploration and Production of GNPC, as saying: �The Wawa discovery is a confirmation of the prospectivity of the offshore Western Basin�. He added: �The discovery has enhanced the value of the TEN (Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme) complex, for which the plan of development is currently being discussed among the partners. He hinted that further exploration drilling is planned within the block before the end of the year.� GNPC has 10 per cent carried interest in the Deep WaterTano Block and has the option to acquire for additional paying interest of five per cent upon declaration that the discovery is commercial. The other partners in the Block include Tullow Oil plc (49.95 per cent working interest and operator), Kosmos Energy (18 per cent working interest), Anadarko (18 per cent working interest) and Tano Block Sabre Oil & Gas Holdings Ltd (4.05 per cent working interest).