New Development of the Lucapa Field in the Congo Canyon, Block 14, Angola

Roger Severson and Kathy Mabe
Chevron Africa & Latin America Exploration and Production Co., Houston, TX

The Lucapa field is a large Miocene-age oil field located on the northern side of the Congo Canyon in Block 14, Angola. Water depths in the field area range from 3000’-6000’. Depth to the primary reservoir is 7000’-8000’ (2000’-4000’ DBML). The field was discovered in 2006 with the Lucapa-1 exploration well. A Declaration of Commercial Well (DoCW) was made on 7 December 2006. The Lucapa 2 appraisal was drilled in mid 2007 and the second appraisal well of this discovery will be drilled by mid 2008.

The Lucapa field is a combination structural-stratigraphic trap composed of reservoirs characterized as a deepwater mid-slope channel deposits in the Middle Miocene section trapped against vertical salt and large-offset, radial normal faults. A comprehensive uncertainty management plan is critical to focus work and to mitigate the considerable complexity of drilling and developing in the Congo Canyon. Project challenges also include minimizing time to first production with limited appraisal, efficient reservoir characterization, optimized concept selection (host and subsea architecture) and safe execution.

Chevron (CABGOC) is the operator of Block 14 with a 31% working interest. Other partners include Sonangol, Total, Eni and Galp.

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