Eight months after President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the drilling of the Kolmani River II Well, on February 2, 2019, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Friday, announced the discovery of crude oil in the Well on the Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin, in the North-East.
The cheery news was disclosed via a press release by the corporation’s Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Samson Makoji.
Makoji also revealed that the NNPC has acquired 435.54km2 of 3D Seismic Data over Kolmani Prospect in the Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin.
This, he said, was to enable it evaluate Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Kolmani River 1 Well Discovery of 33 BCF, as well as explore deeper levels.
The well, the corporation’s spokesperson further revealed, was drilled with “IKENGA RIG 101” to a total depth of 13,701feet, encountering oil and gas in several levels. And Drill Stem Test is ongoing to confirm the commercial viability and flow of the Kolmani River reservoirs.
Punch newspaper quoted the corporation as having explained that on Thursday, October 10, 2019, at 18:02hours, one of the reservoirs was perforated and hydrocarbon started flowing to the well head at 21:20hours in which the gas component was flared to prevent air charge around the Rig.
The newspaper also quoted preliminary reports which, it said, indicate that the discovery consists of gas, condensate and light sweet oil of API gravity ranging from 38 to 41 found in stacked siliciclastic cretaceous reservoirs of Yolde, Bima Sandstone and Pre-Bima formations.
“Computation of hydrocarbon volume is on-going and will be announced in due course,” the statement indicated.
The corporation said it had also acquired additional 1183km2 of 3D seismic data over highly prospective areas of Gongola Basin with a view to evaluating the full hydrocarbon (crude oil) potential of the Basin.
NNPC stated that it deployed technologies including Surface Geochemistry, Ground Gravity/Magnetic, Stress Field Detection, Full Tensor Gradiometry aerial surveys to de-risk exploration in the frontier basins.
It said it plans to drill additional wells for full evaluation of the hydrocarbon volume in the Gongola Basin.
During the spud-in ceremony of Kolmani River II, President Buhari had restated the commitment of his administration to the exploration for oil and gas in the frontier basins in the entire length and breadth of the country.
The basins include the Benue Trough, Chad Basin, Sokoto and Bida Basins.
He also stated that attention would be given to the Dahomey and Anambra Basins which had already witnessed oil and gas discoveries.
The discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantity in the Gongola Basin, the NNPC enthused, would attract foreign investments, generate gainful employment for the people, enabling them to earn income and increase government revenues.
