Russneft to start drilling in Mauritania in Sept-Oct
KHANTY-MANSIYSK. May 18 (Interfax) - Russneft plans to drill its first exploration well at a section in Mauritania in September-October of this year, the company's vice president for geology, development and resource use, Andrei Shegimago, told journalists.
The company finished seismic surveys of 200 square kilometer area. The results are now being processed. "We will build a geological model and specify the layer placement for the first well in a month and a half. We will drill it in September-October," he said.
The company estimated resources at the Mauritanian section at 25 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Shegimago said that resources at the section practically are equal to oil resources at the Shapshinskoye group of fields.
Russneft also finished seismic surveyed at another foreign project in Azerbaijan last months The total area came to 220 square kilometers. These results are also being processed. 'The scenario is the same as in Mauritania only with a slight shift at a month and a half or two months," he said.
It was reported that Russneft acquired two sections in Mauritania in 2007. The company said in its 2008 financial report that it planned to sell these assets. However, company chief Mikhail Gutseriyev later said while in London that he would continue developing this project and injected around $160 million into it.