Italian oil company Eni has failed to find a hydrocarbon accumulation in its Rabat Deep 1 (RD-1) well offshore Morocco.
The RD-1 well is located on the Rabat Deep Permits in Morocco where Eni is the operator with a 40% interest. Eni’s partners are Woodside Energy (25%), ONHYM (25%), and Chariot Oil & Gas (10%).
Eni started drilling the well using the Saipem 12000 drillship in mid-March 2018.
Eni’s partner, Chariot Oil & Gas, informed on Monday that the Rabat Deep 1 has been drilled to a total measured depth of 3,180m to test the JP-1 prospect. The well penetrated a thick top seal and drilled into the primary target encountering tight, fractured carbonates as evidenced by extensive losses of drilling fluid.
As a consequence, only limited cuttings were recovered from the primary target and some limited hydrocarbon indications were observed, Chariot said.
Furthermore, electric log data and side-wall cores have been acquired and detailed analyses will now be undertaken. The data collected will be used to calibrate the existing data sets to understand the implications of the well results on the prospectivity of the surrounding area.
Chariot concluded that the well will now be plugged and abandoned.
Larry Bottomley , Chariot CEO, commented: “Whilst the results of the Rabat Deep 1 well are very disappointing, the fact that we encountered tight carbonates in the Jurassic target with a thick top seal will be invaluable in calibrating the existing data sets and determining the implications for the prospectivity in the Rabat Deep Permits. Rock properties from the top seal and some thin sands encountered in the overburden will allow an improved description of the Cretaceous siliciclastic play that Chariot is targeting in the neighbouring Mohammedia and Kenitra permits where we operate with 75% equity.
“We will continue to evaluate the well data and the implications of these results on the surrounding area, before discussing next steps with our partners Eni, Woodside and ONHYM.
“Separately, Chariot is on track and fully funded to drill Prospect S in Namibia in the second half of 2018 targeting a gross mean prospective resource of 469mmbbls.”