Ben Boakye Advocates for Patience in Evaluating Springfield’s Afina Well Results
Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ben Boakye, has posited that following Springfield Exploration and Production’s appraisal of the Afina Well, the Government has a second opportunity to properly assess the potential of a unitization between ENI’s Sankofa oil field and that of the Afina oil field.
According to him, the government, interested parties and the country at large can now afford to be patient to see how the Petroleum Commission analyses the appraisal results from the re-entry exercise conducted by Springfield and compare with broader industry intelligence and practice.
The call for time and patience for the Petroleum Commission to properly assess results from Springfield’s appraisal of the Afina field by Mr Boakye follows the recent unitisation dispute between the Government and ENI, in which an international arbitral tribunal ruled against the Government.
“Yesterday, a journalist called and asked, “Aren’t you happy with Springfield’s appraisal results?” I wasn’t the least bit surprised; we often face such questions in our work. The truth is, I have great respect for the efforts Springfield has put into its block. They’ve taken on what many could not achieve, including GNPC with a $1.5 billion investment.
“No one doubts Springfield’s statements about their block, but the challenge remains in proving those claims according to industry standards, especially when it comes to issues like potential unitization, which should be celebrated by all parties when it’s meritorious.
“There are few industries that demand such technical rigor, where the best minds and technologies must come together to resolve complex questions in the interest of contending parties. When Ghana attempted to cut corners it lost before a technical arbitration panel.
“Now, the Petroleum Commission and the government have a second opportunity to assess what Springfield has put forward. We can afford to be patient and see how the PC analyses the result of the reentry exercise and compare with broader industry intelligence and practice.
“At all times, the duty to protect Ghana’s interests remains paramount,“ Mr Boakye wrote in a Facebook post on Friday, November 29, 2024.
Springfield Exploration and Production is said to have achieved a significant milestone in its offshore operations after the company completed appraisal tests confirming substantial oil and gas potential in its Afina discovery.
The results, according to the firm, mark a historic moment for African energy independence as Springfield becomes the first independent African company to operate and find hydrocarbons in deep-water assets.
The appraisal well test, conducted at the Afina-1x well offshore Ghana, Springfield says in a statement, demonstrated impressive flow rates that could position the company as a significant player in West Africa’s energy sector.
The well, situated in 1,030 metres of water and drilled to a total depth of 4,085 meters, yielded flow rates of up to 4,500 barrels of oil per day from its primary Cenomanian sandstone reservoir.
More notably, a mini-drill stem test on the secondary Turonian sandstone indicated potential flow rates of up to 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, suggesting significant commercial viability. These results have bolstered confidence in the field’s development potential, particularly if horizontal wells are employed in future development phases.
Mr. Kevin Okyere, Chief Executive Officer of Springfield, expressed optimism about the results: “We are confident that a horizontal well or other well completion options that maximise reservoir exposure in the fields would deliver much higher production rates.”
