Successful Ebony-1 exploration well offshore Ghana

Ebony-1 spudded on 22 October and reached a total depth of 2,640 metres. The well lies in the south-west part of the Shallow Water Tano block in 86 metres of water and is the second commitment well in this licence.

Successful logging and sampling operations have confirmed a four metre oil bearing interval at 2,053 metres and a two metre high-pressure gas-condensate interval at 2,570 metres.

Log and sample data from the high-pressure gas-condensate sands and a regional seismic interpretation, indicate there may be a connection between these pinched-out sands and the material down-dip Tweneboa oil prospect which lies mainly in the Deepwater Tano licence. Other possible interpretations for the high-pressure cannot however be excluded at this stage, and this is subject to ongoing evaluation.

Tullow (31.5%) operates the Shallow Water Tano licence on behalf of partners Interoil (31.5%), Al Thani (22.5%), Sabre Oil and Gas (4.5% carried) and GNPC (10% carried).

Commenting today, Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive, said:

“The current interpretation of the Ebony-1 result is extremely encouraging as it further de-risks the regional prospectivity and improves our overall understanding of the hydrocarbon distribution in the basin. This has potentially positive implications for the Tweneboa stratigraphic trap prospect, which is scheduled for drilling in the first quarter of 2009.”