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Exploration and Appraisal Programme
Exploration and Appraisal Programme
The objective is to appraise and understand the geology and viability of the Serowe gas field and to develop cost-effective methods to produce cbm. Exploration and appraisal data provides an outline of the geological extent, continuity, degree of heterogeneity, cbm content/saturations, depths and thicknesses, volumes, and flow dynamics. The quantity and quality of the data is key in assessing the commerciality of the field.
To date Botala has drilled 10 wells in addition to the previously drilled 19-B1 well (now known as Serowe 1) by Strata-X (now PH2).
Exploration
Botala has conducted the following a four-well exploration programme:
- With the successful build up of pressure at Serowe 3, four pilot wells have be drilled around Serowe 3.
Botala competed the drilling of 6 exploration wells during 2023 and 2024:
- Serowe 6: Located 3km west of the Serowe 3 well; testing the western extension of the coal seams.
The current resources estimate for Botala’s cbm Project, effective since 1 July 2024, is provided in Table 1:
The contingent resources will convert to reserves when production tests successfully demonstrate commercial gas flows. Determining the likely costs of producing commercial gas flows remains a high priority.
Exploration by Botala in the last ~18 months has increased the Independently Certified best estimate 2C contingent cbm resource from 363bcf to ~454bcf in the vicinity of the 11 wells drilled to date and a prospective cbm resource of ~7,112bcf for the entire Serowe Project.
Appraisal Programme
NMR logging of the Serowe 3 well confirmed the presence of 41m of coal seams with free gas shows. This is shown below together with data previously recorded for the Serowe 1 well.
As of July 2023, Botala has commissioned the flow-testing of Serowe 3 well. Since then, Serowe 3 has been reamed and cleaned; with the hole size being increased from 6.5 to 10 inches. A downhole pump and surface equipment was successfully installed and commissioned with promising results being delivered from flow-testing on site. Over the last 12-months Botala has been monitoring the water levels and annulus pressure during flow testing.