Kevin Okyere, chief executive officer of Springfield Exploration and Production (SEP) Limited, says the outcome of Ghana’s Afina appraisal has beaten projections.
“We are extremely happy with the results of the appraisal programme which has further confirmed our understanding of our geological, geophysical, reservoir models and demonstrated our operational capacity,” stated Okyere.
According to BusinessDay, this statement encapsulates the pride and achievement Springfield E&P and its partners, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and GNPC EXPLORCO, feel as they announce the successful completion of the appraisal well-test activity for the Afina discovery.
The Afina-1x well, drilled in 2019 at a water depth of 1,030 metres and reaching a total depth of 4,085 metres, has reaffirmed its potential as a significant hydrocarbon resource. It encountered light oil with a gross thickness of 65 metres and a net oil pay of 50 metres in high-quality Cenomanian sandstone reservoirs. Additionally, the secondary target in Turonian-age sands, located at the structure’s edge, encountered 10 metres of hydrocarbon-bearing sands comprising gas/condensate.
The appraisal programme, including the Drill Stem Test (DST), provided stellar results. The Cenomanian sandstone flowed at a maximum rate of 4,500 barrels of oil per day, confirming excellent reservoir productivity at the upper end of expectations. Meanwhile, the mini-DST on the Turonian sandstone demonstrated a potential flow rate of up to 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), underlining its significant gas/condensate resources. Notably, pressure transient analysis indicated reservoir pressure depletion compared to the 2019 pressures, signalling production activity since the initial discovery.
Springfield’s remarkable feat comes just three months after an International Tribunal issued directives concerning the Afina-Sankofa unitisation dispute. The Tribunal, adjudicating between the Ghanaian government and Eni Ghana Exploration and Production along with Vitol Energy, validated the government’s unitisation directive. However, it required additional work to complete the process, providing a maximum timeline of six months for these tasks.
True to its commitment, Springfield commenced operations on October 17, 2024, deploying the Deepsea Bollsta deep offshore rig, a high-capacity rig contracted from Norway’s Northern Ocean.
As the only African energy company operating in deepwater and the first independent Ghanaian entity to achieve such milestones, Springfield’s achievements resonate beyond its immediate stakeholders. This success symbolises the growing capacity of African enterprises to compete on a global scale, particularly in sectors as technically demanding as oil and gas exploration and production.
Springfield’s journey began with its incorporation in 2008, followed by a determined push to acquire exploration blocks in Ghana. It wasn’t until March 2016 that the government awarded Springfield the West Cape Three Points Block 2, making it the operator and majority interest holder alongside GNPC and GNPC EXPLORCO. The 2019 Afina-1x discovery was a turning point, doubling the block’s contingent resources to 1.5 billion barrels of oil and adding almost 1 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas to the existing reserves.
Springfield’s ability to execute the appraisal well-test activity within three months of the Tribunal’s ruling reflects its commitment to operational excellence and stakeholder collaboration. Okyere, commenting on the achievement, emphasised Springfield’s capacity to operate with the same level of expertise as global super-majors while leveraging its agility as a smaller operator. “Being a smaller operator, but working with the same expertise and diligence as the big operators, we can make decisions swiftly to benefit all our stakeholders, including the government and people of Ghana,” Okyere noted.
The completion of this appraisal also highlights the indispensable role of Springfield’s workforce and partners. The Springfield team, alongside the Deepsea Bollsta crew and other service partners, conducted operations safely and on schedule.
The results of the appraisal have also provided Springfield with valuable insights for future development. While the current appraisal focused on a vertical well, Springfield is confident that horizontal wells or alternative completion techniques maximising reservoir exposure could yield even higher production rates. This potential paves the way for robust commercial development of the Cenomanian and Turonian reservoirs.
As Kevin Okyere expressed, this achievement serves as motivation for other African enterprises, proving that “nothing is impossible if they set their minds to it.”
