Tullow Oil’s third oil exploration well, Shimela-1, drilled in Chaw Bahir basin has turned out to be dry, according to The Reporter. Tullow started drilling the well in March 2014 using Exalo 250 rig in the South Omo Zone.

The drilling crew managed to drill 1,940 meters and made a test to identify an oil accumulation in the area. Yet the test did not reveal the existence of oil in the well. Nonetheless, signs for gas were noted.

A statement sent to The Reporter by Tullow read, “Shimela-1 in the South Omo Block, onshore Ethiopia, was drilled to test a prospect in a north- western sub-basin of the vast Chew Bahir basin. The frontier wildcat well encountered lacustrine and volcanic rocks, including almost 100 meters of net sandstone reservoir within siltstones and clay stones. Trace thermogenic gas shows were recorded at 1,900 meters”.

Tullow further noted, “The rig will now be moved to drill the Gardim-1 wildcat exploration well in a completely separate sub-basin, in the south- eastern corner of the Chew Bahir basin”.

Angus McCoss, Exploration Director at Tullow Oil, said “Although the Shimela well only found traces of thermogenic gas, it has provided key data to continue to build our understanding of the north- western part of the Chew Bahir basin. The prospective at the Gardim-1 well, which is targeting an independent petroleum system in a separate south-eastern sub-basin, is not affected by this result.”

Tullow has earlier drilled two other wells in the South Omo Zone; Sabisa-1 and Tultule-1. The test from the first drilling revealed hydrocarbon indications. And being encouraged by the result from Sabisa-1, Tullow made the second drilling which latter turned out to be dry well.

Tullow Oil is a British oil company that has been exploring for oil in Southern Ethiopia since 2010. Tullow owns a 50 percent stake in the South Omo block and the rest goes to Africa Oil and Marathon Oil each with 30 and 20 percent stake respectively.

Source: The Reporter