Oil & Gas

Gabon has recently made a significant oil discovery that is expected to increase its oil wealth as it is successfully developed and brought into production, according to the Washington-based Specialized Energy Platform’s oil and gas databases.

Norwegian oil and gas company BW Energy announced the discovery in the Dussavu area, located off Gabon's coast, specifically within the "Roche" exclusive exploitation zone. This area includes six oil fields, which could further enhance Gabon’s oil production capacity.

The Dusavu oil park spans an area of 850 square kilometers, with an average water depth of 116 meters. BW Energy is developing the site under a 20-year "production-sharing contract" that was established in September 2018.

This project is part of Gabon's ongoing efforts to strengthen its oil sector, which includes a series of reforms initiated in 2019. These reforms aim to increase oil production by reducing the government’s share in production-sharing contracts, encouraging private sector involvement, and prioritizing local companies in bidding processes.

The oil discovery, located 7.5 kilometers southeast of the MaBoMo offshore production facility, is part of BW Energy’s Hibiscus/Ruche field development project. The company’s exploration activities in the area are being supported by the Norve drilling rig, which is used to evaluate and develop the Dusavu discovery.

BW Energy is the operator of the oil block, holding a 73.5% stake, while Panoro Energy and Gabon Oil own 17.5% and 9%, respectively. The well was drilled to a total depth of 4,135 meters, revealing a substantial hydrocarbon column in the Gamba Formation.

According to BW Energy CEO Carl K. Arnett, the findings from the Bordon valuation well confirm the substantial resource potential of the Dusavu license. Preliminary data suggest the possibility of building a production facility aligned with the Mabu Mo roadline.

Panoro Energy CEO John Hamilton also highlighted that the drilling program has resulted in four oil discoveries and eight new production wells within the Hibiscus/Roche development project. This drilling has raised regional production to around 40,000 barrels of oil per day.

As the project moves forward, BW Energy will further assess the discovery, reviewing the final drilling data and planning the next steps for development.