TotalEnergies has revealed that it will drill an exploration oil well on Congo’s Marine XX offshore licence this year, Energy Voice website reports.
Henri-Max Ndong Nzue, TotalEnergies’ Senior Vice President in Africa for Exploration and Production, confirmed the plan while speaking to the press following a meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Brazzaville.
TotalEnergies’ representative confirmed the plans for the Njamou well in 2023, in around 2,000 metres of water.
The website reports that the exploration of the well will be TotalEnergies’ first exploration well in the country for some years.
The Congolese embassy in France reported the meeting has taken place in the presidential palace on July 3.
“We discussed, I would say, the work progress within TotalEnergies E&P Congo, what we are doing in terms of operations, support for our hydrocarbon production and then the way in which we are preparing, Mr Nzue said.
TotalEnergies executive also discussed plans for tree planting in Congo under the Makasi project.
Brazzaville awarded the deep offshore block to TotalEnergies in February 2020. The company also won the onshore blocks Nanga and Mokelembembe. It dropped the latter block by the end of 2021.
At Marine XX, the company initially said it was planning to drill the well in 2022.
TotalEnergies and Woodside Energy won the block and then farmed down a 30% stake to Petronas in July 2022. Woodside was left with 22.5% from its original 42.5%.
Woodside says there is a one-well commitment on the licence due by the end of 2025.
Eni has two rigs in the country at the moment, Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 and Natt, under contracts that will run to February 2024.
