Total to Drill World's Deepest Offshore Well in Angola

(Bloomberg) -- Total SA will drill the world’s deepest offshore well in Angola, in waters more than 2 miles deep, as the African country works to reverse years of declining output.

The well in Block 48 will be 228 meters (748 feet) deeper than Total’s Raya-1 well in Uruguay, completed in 2016, according to contractor Maersk Drilling A/S.

Any exploration is welcome in Angola, where production has slumped by a third in the past decade following years of underinvestment in new projects. French oil major Total has positioned itself to be the country’s top foreign operator as it mulls billions of dollars of future spending there.

Total has hired the Maersk Voyager rig for its drilling campaign in southern Africa, which comprises two wells in Angola and one in Namibia, with options for more. Work will start this month and last about 240 days, Maersk said.

A Total spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Paul Burkhardt in Johannesburg at pburkhardt@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net
Amanda Jordan