Operational Update – Block III, Albertine Graben, DRC
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SACOIL HOLDINGS LIMITED
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration number 1993/000460/06)
JSE share code: SCL / AIM share code: SAC
ISIN: ZAE000127460
(“SacOil” or “the Company”)
Operational Update – Block III, Albertine Graben, DRC
SacOil Holdings Limited (AIM/JSE), the independent African upstream oil and gas company is pleased to provide an operational update on the Block III oil concession (“Block III”), AlbertineGraben in the Democratic Republic of Congo (‘DRC’), in which SacOil has an effective 12.5 per cent Interest.
As announced on 4 March 2011, Semliki Energy SPRL (“Semliki”), a 50 per cent owned subsidiary of SacOil, successfully concluded a farm-in agreement in March 2011 with Total E&P RDC (“Total”) pursuant to which Total acquired an effective 60 per cent undivided interest in, and became the operator of, Block III. The Government of DRC holds an effective 15 per cent interest and DIG Oil holds an effective 12.5 per cent interest respectively in Block III.
Work Programme
SacOil is pleased to announce the establishment of the Block III Operations Committee (“Committee”) for the management of Block III joint venture operations. The Committee consists of members from SacOil, Total, DIG and a representative of the Government. The first meeting took place in Kinshasa in June 2011 and further meetings are scheduled to take place on a bi-annual basis to monitor and report back on the execution of the work programme.
The work planned and agreed on Block III includes an airborne gravity and magnetic survey over the licence area, the results of which are expected in Q4 of 2011. This will form the basis for the next stage of the programme which will include the acquisition of a targeted 2D seismic survey. The performance of the work programme is subject to first obtaining the relevant ministerial authorisation.
Bradley Cerff, Vice President Commercial of SacOil commented today:
“I am pleased with the progress we are making at Block III with our partners Total. Work will shortly commence on carrying out the preliminary aeromagnetic surveys which is the precursor to targeted seismic surveys. The Block III project in the DRC has an exceptional postcode in terms of recent neighbouring discoveries in Uganda. We look forward to updating shareholders on further work programmes as we move towards drilling a maiden well on Block III during the first phase of the exploration period.”
Johannesburg
15 August 2011
For Further Information please contact
SACOIL United Kingdom Enquiries Tavistock Communications Jos Simson/ Ed Portman |
+44 (0)20 7920 3150 |
South African Enquiries The Riverbed Agency Raphala Mogase/ Bongiwe Moeli |
+27 (0) 11 783 7903 |
Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker finnCap Limited Matthew Robinson/ Ed Frisby |
+44 (0) 20 7600 1658 |
Joint Broker Shore Capital Stockbrokers Limited Jerry Keen/ Dru Danford |
+44 (0) 20 7408 4090 |
TOTAL S.A. Press department Phénélope Semavoine/ Florent Segura |
+33 (1) 47 44 46 99 |
About SacOil
SacOil is a South African based JSE and AIM listed independent E&P Company focused exclusively on operations in Africa, where SacOil has a competitive advantage at the point of entry. To date it has operations in the DRC (and since partnered with Total), Nigeria and South Africa and continues to evaluate a number of opportunities to secure new value accretive acreage in other established and prolific African hydrocarbon basins.
Block III, DRC
Block III is situated in the AlbertineGraben, DRC and comprises an area of 3,177 km², which is mostly lowland (Semliki river plain) and is flanked by rift margins. Block III is on trend with Lake Albert discoveries in Uganda. The largest discovery in the Escarpment/Near-shore Play is Kingfisher (200MMbbl) and the largest discovery in the Victoria Nile Delta Play is Giraffe-Buffalo (300MMbbl). Over 800 million barrels of recoverable oil have been discovered in the AlbertineGraben, and the total resource base is estimated at two billion barrels. To date, the majority of the exploration has been within the borders of Uganda, but the DRC concessions are considered to be highly prospective, with Block III being close to recent significant discoveries
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