Namibia: Tullow commits to well on PEL 37

Tullow Oil has opted to enter the next exploration period on PEL 37 in the central Walvis Basin, which includes a commitment to drill one exploration well by 27 March 2017. Tullow had pushed back a ‘drill or drop’ decision on the licence from 2015. Partner Pancontinental Oil & Gas said four large turbidite prospects and three large leads had been mapped in detail on the block from 3D seismic. Tullow says its two Namibia licences offer access to turbidite fans in relatively shallow water that can be explored with a jack-up rig. Pancontinental says the block is on trend with the Wingat-1 well drilled by Brazil’s HRT in 2013, from which light oil samples were recovered.