High hopes for Gabon’s pre-salt after new discovery

A discovery for Eni, a commercial field for Harvest and new licence awards raise the outlook for Gabon’s pre-salt play

Italy's Eni said it discovered a pre-salt gas and condensate field potentially holding 500 million barrels of oil-equivalent (boe), just 10 days after US firm Harvest Natural Resources said it will submit a development plan for its pre-salt Ruche oilfield. Then, in early-August, the authorities signed contracts for deep-water licences with pre-salt potential, which they hope will revitalise the country’s flagging exploration-production activity. Eni said its discovery, made with the Nyonie Deep-1 well, showed a 320-metres hydrocarbons zone in a structure with an area of more than 40 square km – and the water-depth, 13 km offshore, is just 28 metres. The find was made in the D4 licence and ex