Oil and Gas Press

BP Makes Fifteenth Oil Discovery in the Ultra-Deep Water Block 31 Angola

Commenting on the discovery, Andy Inglis, chief executive of BP Exploration and Production said: “Portia strengthens our track record of exploration success in Block 31. It will make a material contribution to our resource base in Block 31, and will underpin the scale of our business in Angola.”
Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol EP) and BP Exploration (Angola) Limited today announced the Portia oil discovery in ultra-deepwater Block 31, offshore Angola. Portia is the fifteenth discovery that BP has drilled in Block 31. The well is located approximately 7 kilometres to the north of the Titania discovery and 10.5 km south west of the Plutao field.
Portia was drilled in a water depth of 2,012 metres, some 386 km northwest of Luanda and reached a total depth of 5,678 metres TVD below sea level. This is the fourth discovery in Block 31 where the exploration well has been drilled through salt to access the oil bearing sandstone reservoir beneath.
The well test results confirmed the capacity of the reservoir to flow in excess of 5,000 barrels per day under production conditions.
Sonangol is the concessionaire of Block 31. BP Exploration (Angola) Limited as Operator holds 26.67 percent. The other interest owners in Block 31 are Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Block 31) Limited (25 percent), Sonangol EP (20 percent), Statoil Angola A.S. (13.33 percent), Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Limited (10 percent) and TEPA (BLOCK 31) LIMITED, (a subsidiary of the Total Group) with 5 percent.
Notes to Editors
BP’s involvement with Angola goes back to the mid 1970s. During the 1990s, BP made very substantial investments in Angola’s offshore oil and it is now an important part of the company’s upstream portfolio.
Operatorship of Block 31 was awarded to BP Exploration (Angola) Limited in May 1999. The block covers an area of 5,349 square kilometres and lies in water depths of between 1,500 and 2,500 metres.
BP also has operated interests (BP 50 percent equity) in Block 18 where the Greater Plutonio Project started production on October 1, 2007.
BP has non-operated interests in Block 15, operated by Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited (BP 26.67 percent), in Block 17 operated by Total (BP 16.67 percent) and in the planned Angola LNG project (13 percent).
Oil deposits are commonly associated with salt throughout the world; Angola is no exception. Salt distorts the seismic image and as a consequence salt-affected areas require significant amounts of additional seismic processing and interpretation prior to drilling.

Further information:
Name: Robert Wine
Office: BP Press Office
Location: London
Phone : +44 (0) 20 7496 4827

Name: Amilcar da Costa
Location: BP Angola, Luanda
Phone : 244 2 2263 7408
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Tags: Angola, Block 13, BP, discovery, Fifteenth, oil, Ultra-Deep, Water