"Shell has spudded what is set to be the final exploration probe of a high-profile drilling campaign offshore Namibia, fresh from completing multiple flow tests on a critical appraisal well on its large Jonker oil discovery in the country’s prolific Orange basin.
The supermajor is coming towards the end of a second multi-well exploration and appraisal adventure on its deepwater acreage Namibian blocks that began in December 2022, following up on its breakthrough Graff-1 and La Rona-1 discoveries in February that year.
Those play opening probes — which helped propel Namibia into the exploration stratosphere — were drilled by the drillship Valaris DS-10, before Shell decided to charter Northern Ocean’s semi-submersible drilling rig Deepsea Bollsta (via rig manager Odfjell Drilling) for the ongoing campaign.
A source familiar with the supermajor’s drilling plans said the Bollsta has now (commenced drilling) the Enigma-1X well in Block 2913A. Assuming it takes about three months to drill and possibly test, the drilling operation will likely end in June, leaving insufficient time for another well to go down before the rig charter expires. The Enigma-1X well was spudded late last week at a site about 15 kilometres south-southeast of the recently completed Jonker-2A well.
Shell carried out multiple flow tests at Jonker-2A last month, but the results could not be ascertained. However, according to satellite data, gas flares were identified at the drill site on multiple occasions between 6 and 9 February, usually an indication that tests have been carried out. It is widely believed that Jonker is the discovery Shell aims to develop first."
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