Middle East Economic Survey
VOL. LI
No 44
03-Nov-2008
MAURITANIA
Chinguetti Consortium Manages To Raise Output To 17,000 B/D, After Sharp Decline
The Petronas-led consortium that operates Mauritania’s offshore Chinguetti oil field has succeeded in raising output there to more than 17,000 b/d, reversing a sharp decline that the country’s only producing field has witnessed since it was brought on stream in February 2006 at a rate of 66,000 b/d. According to Australia’s Roc Oil, a minority partner in the consortium with a 3.25% interest, production averaged just 8,844 b/d in 2Q08. Production was lifted by the recent implementation of the Chinguetti phase 2B development program, which saw the drilling of two infill wells C-19 and C-20, with the latter being brought into production on 12 October. But despite the fact that the development program has virtually doubled oil output at Chinguetti, it remains way below the 30,000 b/d level that Sterling Energy, another partner in the consortium, was hoping to see by year end. Separately, Roc Oil said that the offshore Banda East appraisal well in PSC Area A commenced drilling on 4 October and is expected to take eight weeks to complete. The Banda gas field is one of five oil and gas discoveries, including Chinguetti, that have been made in Mauritania since 2001.
Copyright MEES 2008.
