BP Makes Second Ultra-Deepwater Discovery Offshore Angola

Sonangol and BP have made an ultra-deepwater discovery in Block 31, Saturno-1, offshore Angola. This is the third exploration well BP has drilled in Block 31, and the second successful discovery following the Plutao discovery announced last September.

The Saturno-1 was drilled by the semi-submersible drilling rig, the Leiv Eiriksson, in 1,804 meters water depth some 170 kilometers off the Angolan coast and reached a total depth of 4,707 meters below sea level.

Further work will be needed to evaluate the full extent of the Saturno discovery. It lies some 14 kilometers to the northeast of the Plutao discovery. Saturno flowed at 5,000 barrels a day during tests.

Block 31 and its operatorship was awarded in 1999 by Angola's state oil company Sonangol to BP with a 26.67 percent equity together with its partners Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Block 31) Limited 25 percent, Sonangol, E.P. 20 percent, Statoil Angola A.S.13.33 percent, Marathon Petroleum Angola Block 31 Limited 10 percent and EPA (Block 31) Ltd (a member of the Total group of companies) 5 percent.

Block 31 covers an area of 5,349 square kilometers and lies in water depths of between 1,500 and 2,500 meters.