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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 6 wells in addition to the previously drilled 19-B1 well (now known as Serowe-1) by Strata-X (now PH2).
Exploration
Botala is conducting the following a four-well exploration programme:
- With the successful build up of pressure at Serowe-3, four pilot wells will be drilled around Serowe-3.
Botala competed the drilling of two exploration wells during 2023:
- Serowe-6: Located 3km west of the Serowe-3 well; testing the western extension of the coal seams.
This will be followed later in 2023 by additional exploration wells to meet licence commitments and test unexplored locations within the Serowe Project area. Their final locations will be selected after updated resource mapping.
The current resources estimate for Botala’s cbm Project, effective since 1 April 2022, 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 23.8bcf to ~317bcf in the vicinity of the 5 wells drilled to date and a prospective cbm resource of ~8,008bcf 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 six months Botala has been monitoring the water levels and annulus pressure during flow testing.. These results are being incorporated into the final design of the Serowe-3 Pitse Project and the drilling of four new appraisal wells around the site of Serowe-3.
