Page 65: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jul/Aug 2013)

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East Africa initially invest $9million upgrading Mtwara Port to create well was drilled in water 1400m deep, and the Chewa-1 well a joint base of operations for the Mnazi Bay gas develop- was in water 1300m deep. In Block 1, the Chaza-1 well was ment—now also shared by BG Group and Statoil and under- drilled in 950m water depth.

going further investment. In 2012, BG Group, now operator in the partnership,

The Mnazi Bay project brought power and light to then went on to make further discoveries; Jodari-1 and

Mtwara, paving the way for future development. Mzia in Block 1, and Papa-1, the frst discovery in Block

However, by 2009, while Mtwara had electricity, it was 3 about 100km offshore, in 2180m deep water. At the end intermittent. Just 58 ships passed through during a two- of 2012, BG drilled another discovery, the Jodari North-1 year time frame. The airport had no road connection to well, the seventh consecutive fnd.

Dar-es-Salaam and there were fewer than six fights per In March this year, a drill stem test on the Jodari-1 well week. fowed at a maximum rate of 70MM scf/d, constrained by

It opened in July 2010, coinciding with $500,000 of testing equipment. In May, a drill stem test on the Mzia-2 investment by Ophir in the airport. The airport now handles appraisal well, saw a maximum fow rate of 57MM scf/d, 14 fights per week and the port could handle up to four also constrained by testing equipment. Both drill stem drilling rigs and the supply vessels and marine security to tests exceeded expectations, says BG. Mzia was BG’s frst support them. Cretaceous discovery in Tanzania; Papa-1 was second.

Petrobras started drilling in 2011, using the Ocean Rig

Poseidon on Zeta-1 in Block 5, with a second well in 2012.

Exploration to date

Between October 2010 and April 2011, Ophir and BG Group However, no results have been announced in the Shell- drilled three deepwater discovery wells with Odfjell’s new partnered block. semisubmersible, Deepsea Stavanger. In Block 4, the Pweza-1 In 2012 and 2013, Statoil and partner ExxonMobil made a string of discoveries, also using the Ocean Rig Poseidon.

These were the Zafarani, Lavani and Tangawizi discoveries

The is contracted to BG Group for drilling Deepsea Metro-1 in Block 2, covering about 5500 sq km in water 1500-3000m offshore Tanzania.

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