UK-based oil and gas firm Afren has confirmed that production has reached 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) at its Ebok field, offshore Nigeria.
The Ebok Deep exploration well, which is located on OML 67 block offshore south-east Nigeria, was drilled to a total depth of 11,375ft.
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The well encountered a total gross hydrocarbon column of 107ft (comprising 82ft in the D2 reservoir and 25ft in the LD1A reservoir).
The Ebok-6 appraisal well was drilled by the Transocean Adriatic IX jack-up drilling unit on the Ebok D2 Southern Lobe, with drilling operations completed on 27 November 2009.
The field increased its 2011 net output to 55,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), ahead of target.
Afren said that an output rate above the year-end goal of 50,000boepd was sustained since 19 December as a result of operations in the Ivory Coast and Ebok and Okoro in Nigeria.
Afren CEO Osman Shahenshah said the group is in a strong position with an aggregate net working interest production of 55,400boepd going into 2012.
"The company’s forthcoming drilling campaign in Ghana, Nigeria, the joint development zone of Nigeria Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Kenya and the Kurdistan region of Iraq had the potential to materially transform and increase our discovered resource base," added Shahenshah.
In addition, gross production on the Ogini and Isoko fields, onshore Nigeria, has nearly doubled to around 10,500bpd from 6,000bpd, following technical changes at the start of December, reports Reuters.
