By Roe Ferredo, in Windhoek
Angola commenced, on September 30, 2023, the public tender for the award of 12 onshore blocks in the Kwanza and Congo basins.
The acreages include:
(A) Onshore Congo Basin blocks: CON Block 2, CON Block 3, CON Block 7 and CON Block 8.
(B) Onshore Kwanza Basin Blocks include: Block KON 1, Block KON 3, Block KON 7, Block KON 10, Block KON 13, Block KON 14, Block KON 15 and Block KON 19.
The country’s National Agency of Petroleum, gas and Biofuels (ANPG), expects the tender to run for the next six months and the winners announced on March 19, 2024.
The agency outlined a five-point strategy for issuing the tender:
- Reassess the existing oil potential in the Lower Congo and Kwanza Onshore Basins.
- Leverage technological innovation and good governance practices.
- Relaunch the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the onshore areas of the basins.
- Encourage the participation of small and medium-sized oil companies and promote the incorporation of qualified Angolan labor.
- Mitigate the decline in production by increasing exploration activities and discovering new resources.
Herewith, below, is the BRIEF GEOLOGY OF THE 12 BLOCKS ON OFFER IN ANGOLAN BID ROUND
Onshore Congo Basin Blocks
CON BLOCK 2
Area: 631.97 square kilometres
Location: North of the Lower Congo Basin (Soyo area), limited to the north by the Zaire River, to the south by Block CON 4, to the east by Block CON 3 and to the west by Block CON 1.
Source rock (Pre-salt): Clays from the Pinda Formation and/or Bucomazi Formation;
Reservoir: Carbonates
The Oolites of the Pinda Formation;
Trap: Mixed type (structural and strategic);
Cover rock: With Evaporites from the Loeme Formation and Pinda Formation.
CON BLOCK 3
Area: 723.3 square kilometres.
Location: Northern part of the basin, limited to the North by the Zaire River, to the South by Block CON 5, to the East by the Pre-Cambrian Saco and to the West by Block CON2.
Source Rock: Clays from the Bucazi Formation;
Reservoir: Sandstones in Pinchout of the Erva Formation.
Trap: Mixed type (Structural or Strategic;
Covering Rock: Clay from the Bucamazi Formation
CON BLOCK 7
Area: 744.77.
Location: Centre of the Lower Congo Basin, Soyo area, limited to the North by blocks CON 4 and CON 5, to the South by the pre-Cambrian Saco and to the West by Block CON 6.
Source rock: Clays from the Bucomazi Formation; Reservoir: “Pinchout” sandstones of the Erva Formation; Trap: Mixed Type;
Covering Rock: Clays from the Bucomazi Formation.
CON BLOCK 8
Area: 757.75 square kilometres.
Location: Western part of the Lower Congo Basin. Pre-salt: structures like horsts and grabens with faults in the basement.
Source rock: Clays from the Pinda and Bucomazi Formation; Reservoir: Carbonates from the Pinda Formation.
Trap: Mixed Type.
Onshore Kwanza Basin Blocks
Kwanza Onshore Basin
BLOCK KON 1
Area: 1577.75 square kilometres.
Location: Northern part, limited to the North by the Pre-Cambrian Saco, to the South by the KON 2 and KON 3 blocks, to the East by the Pre-Cambic Saco and to the West by the Atlantic Ocean. Post-salt: Source rock: Clays from the Cuvo Formation.
Reservoir: Cuvo Formation carbonates and pinchout sandstones.
Covering rock: Clays from the Cuvo Formation Evaporites from the Sal Massif Formation.
BLOCK KON 3
Area: 1 385.06 square kilometres.
Location: Northeast of the Onshore Kwanza Basin, limited to the North by Block KON 1, to the South by KON 6 and KON 7, to the East by the Pre-Cambrian Saco and to the West by KON 2.
Source rock: Cuvo Formation Clays. Reservoir: Cuvo Formation carbonates and sandstones.
Trap: Mixed type (structural and strategic). Covering Rock: Formation Clay, Binga, Catumbela and Cabo Ledo.
BLOCK KON 7
Area: 1207, 86.77 square kilometres.
Location: Limited to the north by KON 3, to the south by KON 10, to the east by the outcrop of the basement and to the west by KON 6.
BLOCK KON 10
Area: 1 734.78 square kilometres.
Location: limited to the North by KON 7, to the South by KON 13 and 14, to the East by the Precambrian Basement and to the West by Block 9.
Source rock: Binga Formation clays. Reservoir: Binga and Catumbela Formation carbonates.
Trap: Mixed type (Structural and Strategic).
Cover rock: Intraformational clays from the Albian and Cabo Ledo formation).
BLOCK KON 13
Area: 1,010.73 square kilometres, located in the Centre-East of the basin.
Source rock: Clays from the Cuvo Formation. Reservoir: Formation carbonates and pinchout sandstones.
Trap: Mixed Type (Structural or Strategic). Covering rock: Clays from the Cuvo Formation.
BLOCK KON 14
Area: 1 021.93 square kilometres.
Location: onshore basin, limited to the south by KON 10 Block, to the south by KON 18, to the west by KON 13 and to the east by the Precambrian Saco.
Source rock: Clays from the Cuvo and Binga Formation. Reservoir: Binga and Catumbela Formation carbonates. Trap: Mixed type.
Cover Rock: Intraformational clays from the Albian and Cabo Ledo formation.
BLOCK KON 15
Area: 007.82 square kilometres.
Location: Southwest of the onshore basin, bordered to the north by Block KON 11, to the south by Block 8 of the Kwanza Maritime Basin, to the east by blocks Kon 16 and 19 and to the west by blocks 7 and 8 of the Kwanza marine basin.
Source rock: Clays from the Cuvo Formation; Reservoir: Carbonates from the Cuvo formation and sandstones in “pinchout”. Trap: Mixed
Cover Rock: Cuvo and Evaporite Formation, Intraformational Clays from the Albian and Cabo Ledo Formation.
BLOCK KON 19
Area: 1007.82 square kilometres.
Location: Southwest of the basin, limited to the North by the Onshore Kwanza Basin, to the North by Block KON 21, to the East by Block 20 and to the West by Block KON 20.
Source rock: Clays from the Cuvo formation. Reservoir: Carbonates from the Cuvo Formation. Trap: Mixed Type (Structural or Strategic); Covering Rock: Saliferous Formation Evaporites.
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