BPCL, partners strike natural gas in Mozambique

Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and its partners have made a major natural gas discovery in offshore Mozambique but no estimates of reserves the find may contain has been made.

The Lagosta exploration well "encountered a total of more than 168 net meters of natural gas pay" in the Rovuma Basin, Area-1, offshore Mozambique, BPCL and Videocon Industries, which are partners in the block, said in separate but identical statements.

This is the third natural gas discovery the statements said but did not put a reserve number to any of the finds. The earlier ones were Windjammer and Barquentine.

Bharat PetroResources Ltd, the upstream subsidiary of BPCL, and Videocon Industries hold 10 per cent interest each in the offshore exploration block. US firm Anadarko Petroleum Corp is the operator with 36.5 per cent interest. Cove Energy has 8.5 per cent, Mitsui 20 per cent and Mozambique national oil firm Empressa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos has the balance 15 per cent.

"The Lagosta discovery is located approximately 25 kilometers to the south of the previously announced Barquentine discovery," the statements said, adding the three finds "exceed the resource size threshold necessary to support an LNG (liquefied natural gas)" project.

Besides, the operator proposes to rein Belford Dolphin drillship to continue active exploration and appraisal programmes, including at least one drill stem test in 2011.

"The consortium plans to continue to drill the Lagosta exploration well to a total depth of 4,850 meters to evaluate a deeper zone," the statements said.

"Once operations are complete at Lagosta, the operator expects to mobilise the Belford Dolphin drillship, 28-kilometers southwest to drill the Tubarao exploration well located in the same exploration block."