Debra Matabvu-Senior Reporter
INVICTUS Energy has completed the installation of a drilling rig at its second exploration well in the Cabora Bassa Basin, paving the way for drilling to begin at Musuma-1 next month, in a development that could expand Zimbabwe’s potential gas and condensate resource base.
The successful relocation of Exalo Rig 202 from the Mukuyu-2 wellsite to Musuma-1 marks a major step towards testing a new prospect that the Australian-listed energy company estimates could contain 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 73 million barrels of condensate.
The November drilling campaign will test whether the geological formations identified at Musuma contain commercially significant quantities of hydrocarbons, potentially adding to the significance of the company’s previous Mukuyu discovery.
Invictus, which operates and owns 80 percent of the Cabora Bassa Project, said construction of the Musuma-1 drilling platform, associated civil works and access road upgrades had been completed, allowing the rig to be moved to the new site.
The company will now assemble and service the rig, mobilise the remaining drilling equipment and conduct final inspections before commencing operations.
In a statement, Invictus managing director Scott Macmillan said the successful rig move marked an important milestone in preparations for the exploration campaign.
“The successful completion of the rig move to Musuma-1 marks another important milestone as we move into the final stages of preparations for our next high-impact exploration well,” he said.
“With the wellpad and associated infrastructure completed and Exalo Rig 202 now on location, our focus is on completing rig-up, finalising the remaining maintenance programme, mobilising well services equipment and achieving final rig acceptance ahead of the planned November spud.
“Musuma-1 represents an exciting opportunity to test a material new prospect in the Cabora Bassa Basin, supported by seismic data and offering the potential to identify additional gas and condensate resources following our Mukuyu discovery.
“We look forward to advancing the next phase of our exploration programme and providing further updates as we progress towards drilling.”
Musuma-1 is a vertical exploration well with a total depth of approximately 1 500 metres, providing a cost-effective opportunity to test an additional prospective hydrocarbon accumulation in the basin.
The drilling of Musuma-1 forms part of the Company’s broader strategy to unlock the significant hydrocarbon potential of the Cabora Bassa Basin, alongside the ongoing appraisal and commercialisation of the Mukuyu gas-condensate discovery.
Success at Musuma-1 could significantly expand Zimbabwe’s known gas resources, attract fresh investment into the upstream petroleum sector and accelerate the country’s transition from a frontier exploration market to a potential oil and gas producer.
