Caption reads "Geological Map of part of central Uganda. Pink are grranitic rocks, yellow quarztic rocks, black latrite and white , lake Victoria with sandy beaches."
Posted on 06/06/2009 3:39:01 PM PDT by Iron Munro
Kampala - Uganda's oil reserves could be as much as that of the Gulf countries, a senior official at the US Department of Energy has said.
Based on the test flow results encountered at the wells so far drilled and other oil numbers, Ms. Sally Kornfeld, a senior analyst in the office of fossil energy went ahead to talk about Uganda's oil reservoirs in the same sentence as Saudi Arabia.
"You are blessed with amazing reservoirs. Your reservoirs are incredible. I am amazed by what I have seen, you might rival Saudi Arabia," Kornfeld told a visiting delegation from Uganda in Washington DC.
The group of Ugandans was in Washington on an international visitor programme and looked at the efficient use of natural energy resources.
The group comprised Ministry of Energy officials, a Member of Parliament, members from the civil society and one journalist.
At present, Uganda has four oil prospectors on the ground including Heritage Oil, Tullow Oil, Tower Oil and Dominion Oil.
Of the four prospectors, Tullow and Heritage have registered success at wells in two blocks in the Albertine basin, which lies in the upper-most part of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley.
According to data so far aggregated since the first discovery was made by Australian prospector Hardman Resources (now taken over by Tullow) in June 2006, Uganda has established reserves at 3.5 million barrels of oil per day.
Experts in oil exploration say this could be just a tip of the iceberg.
The sites are still building pressure and production might well exceed the current figures if what has happened elsewhere like Angola is anything to go by.
Flow tests at various wells have indicated flow rates ranging from as low as 1,500 to highs of 14,000 barrels per day. According to earlier releases, the prospectors are now certain that the commercial threshold for development has been exceeded.
Mr. Aidan Heavy, Tullow Oil's chief executive officer revealed early in the year that they assigned a dedicated team of experts to deliver a commercial development plan for the entire basin.
In April last year, Tullow embarked on what it termed as a major drilling campaign in the Butiaba area around Lake Albert targeting an overall reserve potential in excess of a billion barrels.
The Butiaba campaign was preceded by successes in two drilling campaigns in the Kaiso-Tonya area and the Kingfisher field and all these have been 100% successes so far.
The Butiaba campaign has thrown up successes but the two biggest so far have been the Buffalo-Giraffe wells - described as "one of the largest recent onshore oil discoveries in Africa".
"Combined with our other finds in the region, we have now clearly exceeded the thresholds for basin development," the chief executive of Tullow commented then.
The Giraffe-1 exploration well, which is located in the Butiaba region, came up with over 38 metres of net oil pay within an 89-metre gross oil bearing interval.
The data from the Giraffe discovery indicate a net reservoir thickness of 38 metres, the largest encountered in the area to date.
The Buffalo-1 exploration well in Block 1 encountered 15 metres of net gas pay and over 28 metres of net oil pay.
The gas and oil columns encountered are 48 metres and 75 metres respectively with the potential to be even larger.
As Kornfeld marveled at Uganda's oil finds, she was quick to add that for the country to benefit from the oil and gas resources but also avoid the pitfalls of oil producing countries like Nigeria, it is extremely important to set up strong governance structures.
Kornfeld and the other United States officials said they are ready to help Uganda's nascent oil and gas sector with anything including the key environmental issues that are crucial to the efficient management of oil and gas.
"Anything you might want us to help you with we will and we have a lot of expertise in environmental issues relating to oil and gas," Kornfeld said.
"You are blessed with amazing reservoirs. Your reservoirs are incredible. I am amazed by what I have seen, you might rival Saudi Arabia," Kornfeld told a visiting delegation from Uganda in Washington DC... According to data so far aggregated since the first discovery was made by Australian prospector Hardman Resources (now taken over by Tullow) in June 2006, Uganda has established reserves at 3.5 million barrels of oil per day... In April last year, Tullow embarked on what it termed as a major drilling campaign in the Butiaba area around Lake Albert targeting an overall reserve potential in excess of a billion barrels... The Giraffe-1 exploration well, which is located in the Butiaba region, came up with over 38 metres of net oil pay within an 89-metre gross oil bearing interval... a net reservoir thickness of 38 metres, the largest encountered in the area to date. The Buffalo-1 exploration well in Block 1 encountered 15 metres of net gas pay and over 28 metres of net oil pay. The gas and oil columns encountered are 48 metres and 75 metres respectively with the potential to be even larger.It just means the Muzzies will take over Uganda really soon now, via "indigenous resistance movements".
As long as they stop sending letters asking to have access to bank accounts to move money out of the country in return for a percentage...
Caption reads "Geological Map of part of central Uganda. Pink are grranitic rocks, yellow quarztic rocks, black latrite and white , lake Victoria with sandy beaches."
Lots of potential there:
MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES: Bazzukulu ba Buganda; the Buganda Youth Movement, founded in 1994; the Conservative Party (CP), founded in 1979; the Democratic Party (DP), founded in 1954; the Federal Democratic Movement (FEDEMO); the Forum for Multiparty Democracy (FMD); the National Liberal Party (NLP), founded in 1984; the National Resistance Movement (NRM); the Uganda Democratic Alliance (UDA); the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM); the Uganda Independence Revolutionary Movement (UIRM), founded in 1989; the Uganda Islamic Revolutionary Party (UIRP), founded in 1993; the Uganda National Unity Movement (UNUM); the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), founded in 1980; the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), founded in 1960; the Uganda People’s Democratic Movement (UPDM); the Uganda People’s Freedom Movement (UPFM), founded in 1994; the Uganda Progressive Union (UPU); the Lord’s Resistance Army, founded in 1987.
That’s a whole lot of politics for a nation of 18 million. ‘The Lord’s Resistance Army’ sounds ominous.
Members of the Uganda army celebrate after over running the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) camp in Garamba national park in Democratic Republic of Congo in this December 18, 2008 (Reuters)
Just another day in Africa.
Thanks FN.
Building pressure is a good thing. Also, other than offshore and a stray great well or two, US production is usually measured in a few "feet of pay". What a wonderful thing to measure pay zones in many "metres".
Thanks.
You know ,....based on where this is...the rift valley...what does this do to the legend of oil being created by remnants of dinosaurs...etc.?
:’) Probably nothin’. But irrespective of what model one uses for hydrocarbon formation underground, cracks and faults allow migration of gases and liquids.
The Great Rift and the Jordan
http://www.varchive.org/itb/rift.htm
(follows these)
The Overthrow of the Cities of the Plain
http://www.varchive.org/itb/overthrow.htm
The Age of the Dead Sea
http://www.varchive.org/itb/deadsea.htm
We likely have at least that much in Alaska if the gummit would get out of the way.
Pray for America
You know ,....based on where this is...the rift valley...what does this do to the legend of oil being created by remnants of dinosaurs...etc.?
Great question Ern—maybe our resident geological fellows can help. I always thought volcanics were a sure sign that any hydrocarbons were long since cooked out, however, I have also heard alternative theories as well.
Doesn’t look too promising for “Saudi” level of reserves.
Blame it on idiot media reporting.
Thay don’t know anything about the subject on which they write.
Organic rich shales were always source rocks when I was in the patch.
Agree on that, but are shales related to volcanics? -—remember, you’re talking to a dumb ol’ landman.
Shales are sedimentary, like other oil-producing formations, formed by pressure on clay or mud.
They are far less porous than other formations, though, and require extensive fracturing.
Americans are stark raving mad. Then we pretend other people aren't rational...
Not ORGANIC rich shales.
Have we figured this out yet?
Thanks for the map!
Not a very big place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.