nigeria

Results of ongoing drilling  of kolmani River-2, in Bauchi State, in the Gongola Basin, in Nigeria's northeast, are looking very good, according to sources at the NNPC, the Nigerian state hydrocarbon company.

Kolmani-River-2 is being drilled to appraise the 1999 gas discovery made by Shell in Kolmani River-1. Although the Anglo Dutch

major drilled the discovery well to a depth of 3,000metres (9,842feet), Kolmani River-2 has reached deeper than that, even though the

location of the appraisal well is updip of the discovery well.

The company has kept a tight lid on information, but Africa Oil+Gas Report learns that several feet of natural gas and oil has

been encountered. “The sand is better developed at this location and even though we've drilled deeper than 10,000feet

(3,048metres), we are hardly able to find a shale level to hang the 9 5/8 inch casing”, one source enthuses. “We are drilling with a water

based mud, so there are no issues about the stability of the well bore”.

The prognosed Total Depth for Kolmani River- 2 is 4,350metres (14,270feet). Shell didn't test the discovery well, but went ahead and

booked 33Billion standard cubic feet of gas as possible estimated recoverable reserves, based on some petrophysical results. NNPC,

however, aims to collect as much geosicentific data as possible. “We are taking lots of sidewall cores, lots of fluid samples for PVT.

The results are looking good.” The new well is being drilled by the Drillog operated Rig 101.