Independent oil and gas exploration and production company, Kosmos Energy, completed the drill stem test of the Tortue-1 well.
The company said on Tuesday the DST confirms the “Tortue field is a world-class resource,” flowing at a sustained, equipment-constrained rate of approximately 60 million cubic feet per day, during the main, extended flow period.
Initial analysis of fluid samples collected during the test indicate Tortue gas is well suited for liquefaction given low levels of liquids and minimal impurities, the company said.
Data acquired from the DST will be used to further optimize field development and to refine process design parameters critical to the front end engineering and design (FEED) process anticipated to begin later this year.
Speaking of the DST, Andrew Inglis , Kosmos Energy’s chairman and CEO, said, “The combination of high well rates, large connected volume per well together with a gas well-suited for liquefaction is why we believe Tortue is one of the lowest cost pre-FID greenfield LNG projects.”
He added that Kosmos Energy and BP remain positive on delivering a final investment decision for the project in 2018 and first gas in 2021
The Tortue-1 well is located in water depths of approximately 2,700 meters offshore Mauritania. The DST was conducted by the Atwood Achiever drillship, which has now mobilized to the Hippocampe prospect in Block C-8 offshore Mauritania to begin exploration drilling operations.
Kosmos is exploration operator of Block C-8 with a 28 percent participating interest. BP is named operator with a 62 percent participating interest, and Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM) has a 10 percent participating interest.