London-based oil and gas player Energean has completed drilling activities short of its exploration targets on an appraisal well at its Lixus gas field located 40 km offshore Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean.
Once Energean expanded its presence in the Mediterranean region in April 2024 with an entry into a new country, through partnership agreements with Chariot to take over the operator role on two Moroccan offshore licenses, including the Lixus offshore license (Lixus), home to the Anchois gas development project, Stena Drilling’s Stena Forth drillship was hired on a one-well contract with the flexibility to drill an additional option well in Morocco.
Following the commencement of drilling of the Anchois-3 appraisal well in August 2024, last week’s preliminary interpretation indicated the presence of gas reservoirs in the B sands, which is an appraisal objective for the well. As a result, more detailed work was required to understand the impact of the results. Energean’s pre-drill estimate highlighted significant upside potential and value of the prospective resources in the pilot hole and main hole targets.
These wells would have the potential to increase the resource base to over 1 trillion cubic feet (tcf), fuelling the company’s hopes of moving quickly towards a final investment decision (FID). However, preliminary results from the Anchois-3 well drilling campaign did not confirm the pre-drill estimate for the Anchois gas project on the Lixus offshore licence, held by Energean (45% interest, operator), alongside its partners Chariot (30%) and ONHYM (25%).
According to Chariot, the main Anchois-3 hole was drilled to a total measured depth of 3,045 m by the Stena Forth drillship in 349 m of water, with preliminary interpretation indicating several reservoirs containing good quality gas in the B sand appraisal interval as expected, but associated gas fields are now interpreted to be below the pre-drill geological model.
Although target reservoirs beneath the B sands were also encountered, they were wet. The C and M sands appraisal target reservoirs were drilled deeper than the gas sands in the Anchois-2 well and in the water leg at this location downdip.
The Anchois northern flank exploration prospect, which was found to contain well-developed O sand reservoirs with associated gas shows, was also wetted by water. As a result, the main hole has now been plugged and abandoned, without flow testing, and the drillship is being demobilised. The Lixus partnership intends to work towards defining the next steps for the project.
Adonis Pouroulis, CEO of Chariot, commented: “The Anchois East drilling campaign evaluated all pre-drill reservoir targets, but the results were not up to expectations or consistent with the excellent results from the previously drilled Anchois-2 well.
“The primary exploration objectives were not met, but we have demonstrated the extension of the gas-bearing reservoirs in the main B appraisal sands, although the columns are thinner than expected, and the data acquired from the other reservoirs will be useful in our understanding of the field. We will now work with our joint venture partners to determine the course of action.”
Currently, Energean is working on the development of its offshore projects in Israel, as illustrated by the FID for the Katlan development project, involving capital expenditures estimated at approximately $1.2 billion.
