BW Energy’s Bourdon discovery offshore Gabon could be developed with a production unit similar to its MaBoMo platform.
In a 7 March press release, BW announced it made a substantial oil discovery in its Dussafu Marin license, where its Hibiscus and Ruche discoveries are already in production. Production from the MaBoMo platform is transported to the BW Adolo FPSO 20 km away.
Logging data and formation-pressure testing at Bourdon confirmed about 34 m of pay in an overall hydrocarbon column of 45 m in the Gamba formation, which BW said makes it the largest hydrocarbon column discovered to date in the license. In its fourth quarter 2024 financial presentation, BW said the well targeted risked gross recoverable reserves of about 30 million BOE.
The Norve jackup drilled the Bourdon appraisal well to 4135 m total depth. The Bourdon field is about 15 km west of the BW Adolo FPSO and 7.5 km southeast of the MaBoMo production platform.
“Initial data indicates the potential for establishing a new development cluster with a production facility following the MaBoMo blueprint. We are evaluating a second sidetrack to further appraise the discovery,” BW CEO Carl K. Arnet said in a news release.
Panoro Energy, BW’s partner in the license, said in a news release the block holds multiple additional prospects and leads.
“What is apparent even at this early stage is that we have potentially established the foundation for a new development cluster on the block,” Panoro CEO John Hamilton said. “Bourdon is the final operation in the current Dussafu drilling campaign that has now resulted in four significant oil discoveries and eight new production wells across the Hibiscus/Ruche hub which, in addition to the six pre-existing wells at the producing Tortue field, has increased total gross production on the block to around the 40,000 BOPD level.”
The Dussafu Marin license, where average water depth is 116 m, is adjacent to the Niosi Marin and Guduma Marin licenses, which BW operates with 37.5% interest. BW plans to acquire 3D seismic over those blocks this year, the company said in its fourth quarter 2024 financial presentation.
BW operates the Dussafu Marin license with 73.5% interest on behalf of partners Panoro Energy, which holds 17.5% interest, and Gabon Oil Co. with 9% interest.
