Business
Lekoil Gets Stake In OPL310
A farm-out agreement that entails Lekoil 17.14 per cent stake in the Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 310 situated offshore Nigeria has been completed, according to a statement by Afren.
Afren will receive US$50 million as a total carry off in respect of an exploration well being drilled at present at the Ogo prospect and a planned side-track well under the terms of the agreement that is subject to the Minister of Petroleum’s approval.
Optimum Petroleum Development Limited, an indigenous company, the named operator of the block will continue to have 60 – per-cent-participating interest even as Afren provides technical assistance to optimum in respect of the Nigerian company’s obligation under a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA), the statement stated.
According to the statement “The Partners’ participating and economic interests are as follows, post the farm-out to Kekoil: Optimum – 60 per cent participating interest and 30 per cent economic interest; Afren – 22.86 per cent participating interest and 40 per cent economic interest and Lekoil – 17.14 per cent participating interest and 30 per cent economic interests”.
Afren’s chairman, Egbert Imomoh, expressed the company’s delight over the successful completion of the farm –out agreement on OPL 310, and welcomed Lekoil as partner in exploring the significant potential of this under – explored region of the West African Transform margin.
“This farm in and the associated drilling programme is a major step forward for our operations at OPL 310 ad we welcome Lekoil to the team. We look forward to working with them closely to realise the field’s full potential over the coming years”, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Optimum, Mr. Yusuf N’jie said.
OPL 310 is located at the Upper Cretacenous fairway which is along the West African Transform Margin and close to the Aje field that has been declared commercial. Coming from the Shallow Water Continental Shelf to deep water, the block is an exploration opportunity in an under – explored basin with a proven working bydrocarbon system in close proximity to the Tano Basin.
Evaluation of the block has revealed varied prospects lying in the same Turonian, Cenomian and Albian Sand – tone intervals that have yielded significant discoveries in Ghana and Cote d’Ivorie.