Oil & Gas Journal: Shell, PanOcean announce oil discovery AWOKOU-1 on Awoun permit in Gabon (ShellNews.net)

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Sept. 8 -- Shell Gabon, operator of the Koula prospect in the onshore Awoun permit in Gabon, West Africa, discovered light oil with its exploration well AWOKOU-1. The well is 8 km north of the Total ASA-Shell producing Avocette field and 5 km northwest of PanOcean's producing Obangue field onshore, West Africa.

Pan-Ocean Energy Corp. Ltd., St. Helier, Jersey, UK, is Shell's 40:40 coventurer, with Gabon taking a 20% back-in interest.

The Simpler 101 rig drilled the AWOKOU-1 well to 1,926 m TD. The first of a two-well exploration campaign on the permit, AWOKOU-1 found and logged oil in thick Gamba sandstone. The second exploration well, AWODAM-1, will be drilled in October, about 3 km southwest of AWOKOU-1.

AWOKOU-1 currently is being suspended at the 9 5/8-in. casing, and the rig will move to PanOcean's 100%-owned Maghena property, where it will spud a second well, TST-2, on the Tsiengui prospect.

An appraisal of AWOKOU-1 could be drilled as the sixth well in the program sequence around yearend.

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