Latest news with #oildiscovery
Zawya
7 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Panoro Energy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to Outline Infrastructure-Led Exploration at African Energy Week (AEW) 2025
John Hamilton, CEO of independent exploration and production company Panoro Energy, has joined the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference - taking place September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town - to discuss strategies for advancing exploration in Africa. With stakes in various strategic blocks in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Tunisia, the company is well-positioned to share insights into West and Central Africa's upstream landscape. Panoro Energy kicked off 2025 with an oil discovery at the Bourdon prospect on the Dussafu block, situated offshore Gabon. The well encountered approximately 34 m of net oil play in a 45 m oil column in the Gamba reservoir, with an appraisal well side-track confirming an additional 11 m of net oil play. Representing the largest hydrocarbon column found to date at Dussafu, the discovery supports estimates of around 56 million barrels of oil in place. Of this, 25 million barrels are considered recoverable. At AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, Hamilton is expected to share insight into this discovery and its impact on the broader oil and gas landscape in Gabon. AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit for more information about this exciting event. Beyond Gabon, Panoro Energy has stakes in the Ceiba field and Okume Complex, situated in Equatorial Guinea's Block G. In 2024, Block G operator Trident Energy – alongside its partners Panoro Energy, Kosmos Energy and GEPetrol – brought online the C-45 infill well at the Ceiba field. The well came online in October and was the first of two infill wells drilled a the Ceiba field and Okume Complex. The second well, OF-19, was drilled during the same period. The drilling program aligns with efforts by the block partners to unlock greater value from Equatorial Guinea's mid-life assets. Meanwhile, Panoro Energy is also striving to develop Africa's natural gas reserves. The company was awarded a 100% interest in Technical Cooperation Permit (TCP) 218 in South Africa, situated in the onshore northern Free State province. TCP 218 lies in the prospective Northern Karoo Basin, which boasts a proven natural gas and helium system. The asset is also situated in close proximity to the producing Virginia gas field. In 2024, Panoro Energy applied to secure an exploration right for helium and natural gas in the Karoo Basin. The application involves a three-year exploration work program and builds on preliminary studies conducted as part of the technical cooperation permit granted in 2022. The Karoo Basin boasts some of the world's highest concentrations of helium ever recorded, and with a proven gas system, holds significant potential for gas discoveries. During AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, Hamilton is expected to provide an update on ongoing exploration and production campaigns across the continent. Through his participation in panel discussions, Hamilton is set to share insight into various key topics, including the role independent exploration and production companies play in Africa; strategies for unlocking frontier basins such as Karoo; and the value of partnerships in monetizing the continent's oil and gas resources. 'With interests in various strategic blocks in West and Central Africa, Panoro Energy is targeting greater production through infrastructure-led exploration. Working closely with national oil companies and international operators, the company continues to unlock significant value from offshore oil and gas assets. The company is a strong example of the role independent exploration and production firms play in Africa,' states Tomás Gerbasio, VP Commercial and Strategic Engagement, African Energy Chamber. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Wafra Oil Find Boosts Saudi, Kuwait Reserves and Global Energy Security
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait announced a new oil discovery on Tuesday in the divided zone between the two countries, marking the first such find since production resumed in the area in 2020. Located about 5 kilometers north of the Wafra field, the new well, named Wara Burgan-1, has shown a flow rate exceeding 500 barrels per day with an API gravity of 26–27. The discovery is expected to boost the two Gulf nations' proven oil reserves and underscores their role in securing stable energy supplies for global markets. The announcement signals a renewed momentum in exploration and production in the shared neutral zone, which holds significant untapped hydrocarbon potential. The find is particularly notable due to its proximity to the Wafra field, which forms part of the southern extension of the vast Burgan field in Kuwait, one of the largest oil fields in the world. The strategic location lends additional weight to the discovery, being near established reserves with proven productivity. Reviving joint operations The divided zone, rich in hydrocarbons, is jointly administered by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and includes two main oilfields: Khafji and Wafra. In 2019, both countries signed an agreement to resume and regulate oil output in the area after years of suspended operations. In July 2023, the Kuwait-Saudi Joint Permanent Committee met to discuss expediting oil projects in the zone, including joint operations in both Khafji and Wafra, according to a statement by Kuwait's Ministry of Oil at the time. Strengthening energy security Energy experts hailed the new discovery as a milestone that reflects the natural wealth of the neutral zone and supports the long-term energy security of both countries. Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabban, former senior adviser to the Saudi oil minister, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the find reinforces the region's global and regional economic significance, increasing both countries' oil reserves at a time of market uncertainty. He said recent discoveries of both oil and gas were contributing positively to the economic outlook of Gulf states. 'The announcement confirms the area's resource richness and supports investor confidence amid global oil market volatility,' Al-Sabban said, adding that Saudi Arabia's recent energy sector announcements have expanded its reserves and bolstered its economic resilience. Market stability and strategic depth Economist Ahmed Al-Shahri said the discovery aligns with Saudi Arabia's strategy to maintain its position as the largest oil producer within OPEC and to secure additional proven reserves. He said it also contributes to stabilizing global energy markets. 'This development enhances the credibility of both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as reliable energy suppliers,' Al-Shahri told Asharq Al-Awsat. 'It also demonstrates the strength of their energy partnership and their commitment to supporting global energy security.' Broader exploration success Earlier this year, Saudi Aramco announced the discovery of 14 new oil and gas reservoirs across the Eastern Province and the Rub' al-Khali Desert. These included six new oil fields, two oil reservoirs, two gas fields, and four gas reservoirs. These discoveries further solidify Saudi Arabia's standing as a global energy leader and expand the country's hydrocarbon resource base. They are expected to open new avenues for economic development and enable the Kingdom to meet both domestic and international energy demands efficiently and sustainably for decades. Officials say these efforts are aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to maximize the benefits of its natural resources and ensure long-term energy security.
