AUSTRALIA-LISTED Invictus Energy (Invictus) has awarded contracts for well services to several leading international oilfield service providers for the drilling of the
Mukuyu-2 well, the firm revealed yesterday.
In a shareholder update, the resource outfit which hopes to make Zimbabwe’s first oil find, said it awarded SLB, previously known as Schlumberger, the open-hole wireline logging contract.
Geolog International was awarded the mudlogging contract, while Baker Hughes in combination with NOV were awarded directional drilling and logging.
The remainder of the services, including cementing, drilling fluids and mud engineering, tubular running, fishing and abandonment, liner hangers, reservoir technical services and project management have been retained by Baker Hughes.
“The award of multiple well services contracts to international service companies for the Mukuyu- 2 well marks another significant milestone for the company as we prepare to follow up our highly successful basin opening Mukuyu-1/ST-1 well,” Invictus managing director Scott Macmillan said.
“Invictus has enlisted multiple service providers for the drilling of Mukuyu-2 as it allows us to leverage on their unique expertise and experience in different areas to ensure safe and efficient drilling and well operations, while increasing the chances of meeting all key objectives of the well.
“The aim of the upcoming campaign is to build upon the success of the Mukuyu-1/ST-1 well and confirm a commercial discovery, putting the company on a pathway to development.”
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He added: “The planned maintenance programme for the Exalo 202 rig has been completed and we remain on schedule to spud in the third quarter of CY23 (calendar year 2023).
“Mukuyu-1/ST1 has already confirmed the presence of light oil, gas and helium, de-risking drilling in the frontier Cabora Bassa basin and Mukuyu-2 is the next step to unlocking this potentially significant resource.”
Invictus said preparation of tools and services will commence for mobilisation of outstanding equipment to Zimbabwe. Maintenance of equipment retained at the company’s supply base in Harare from the previous drilling campaign has commenced in preparation for mobilisation, following completion of the move of Rig 202 to the Mukuyu-2 wellsite.
It said the planned maintenance programme for Exalo’s Rig 202 had been completed in preparation for the rig move to the Mukuyu-2 wellsite.
Following the rig and camp move to the Mukuyu-2 wellsite, the installation and commissioning of the new mud tank system (currently enroute to Zimbabwe) and rig acceptance process will be undertaken in preparation to drill the Mukuyu-2 well.
Following the awarding of well services contracts and mobilisation of equipment, Invictus said Mukuyu-2 remained on track to spud in the third quarter of this year.
Mukuyu-2 will test multiple stacked targets within the greater Mukuyu structure with the aim of confirming a commercial discovery.
The company has raised a combined A$35,4 million (about US$23,57 million) to fund the programme.
Invictus signed an exploration, development and production deal with Zimbabwe in 2018, and exploration started last year in the Cabora Bassa Basin, some 200 kilometres north of the capital, Harare, which is estimated to hold 20 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Along with light oil and gas condensate, Invictus announced it also found the presence of helium gas in commercial concentrations in the Mukuyu-1 well. Helium is used in the production of semiconductors and liquid crystal display panels.
Polaris Natural Resource Development was roped in to carry out further exploration. Work has officially commenced with the start of line clearing operations.
