AGC: Dome Flore
Location: Casamance-Bissau Sub-Basin (Southern MSGBC Basin)
Area: 1,699 km2
Sterling Equity: 30%
Partners: Markmore (Operator 55%), L'Entreprise (15%)
Following award of the licence, Sterling immediately acquired a 3D seismic survey in January 2003 over the Dome Flore and Dome Gea salt domes in the western half of the permit. Although thirteen wells had been previously drilled on these features and discovered heavy oil, most were shallow tests drilled in a low oil price environment between 1967 and 1971.
Only two wells have been drilled in the permit during the last thirty years and recent technical advances, such as Pre-Stack Depth Migration (PreSDM) are being utilised to refine imaging of the shallow heavy oil reservoir section and to image deeper reservoir intervals. Previous drilling encountered light oil at Miocene and Maastrichtian levels both above and below the heavy oil accumulations. The extensive Oligocene heavy oil accumulations discovered by previous wells are estimated to contain 0.8 – 1.0 billion barrels of oil in place and may be of commercial interest with rising oil prices. Additional potential exists for light oil pools adjacent to the existing heavy oil accumulations.
In March 2005, Sterling farmed out a 55% working interest to Markmore Energy. Sterling will be fully carried in the upcoming exploration well, due to be drilled in 2008 dependent on rig availability. This well will primarily be targeting two light oil exploration targets and secondarily will cut core in the reservoir of the heavy oil accumulation. The core to be cut in the heavy oil reservoir will provide vital data to evaluate development options for the heavy oil accumulation.
