- Zanzibar has signed a production sharing agreement with a United Arab Emirates company for the exploration of natural gas in the Zanzibar block.
- 75% of the licence lies in water depths of less than 200 metres, with the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar providing potential for on-shore directional drilling.
- The UAE’s Emirate of Ras al Khaimah, has established a subsidiary called RAK Gas Zanzibar On the Isles to meet legal requirements.
Zanzibar has signed a production sharing agreement with a United Arab Emirates company for the exploration of natural gas in the Zanzibar block. According to The East African, the targeted Zanzibar block has already undergone several field activities including pre-drilling aerial exploration and deployment of offshore infrastructure for drilling of test wells.
Former holders of exploration rights for the Zanzibar block – Antrim Energy of Canada – describes project owners RAK Gas LLC as “the state natural gas utility of the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates which has interests in two offshore blocks in Ras al Khaimah as well as holding interests in exploration blocks in East Africa and Egypt, including the East Pande block in Tanzania.”
Antrim added: “The Pemba-Zanzibar block has a proven hydrocarbon system, as evidenced by the Tundaua oil seep on Pemba Island and oil shows in previous exploration wells. Multiple source rocks and petroleum reservoirs are anticipated and numerous prospects have been mapped.”
Further describing the potential of the Zanzibar block, whose prospects were boosted on October 23 after RAK and the Zanzibar government signed the agreement, Antrim said: “approximately 75% of the licence lies in water depths of less than 200 metres, with the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar providing potential for on-shore directional drilling.”
The East African further reported that Ras Al Khaimah company has established a subsidiary called RAK Gas Zanzibar On the Isles to meet legal requirements. Other supporting firms are the UK’s Bell Geospace Enterprises Company Ltd, which conducted the aerial survey beginning early last year, and Brunswick Zanzibar Ltd.
Author: Babalwa Bungane
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
