Italian oil and gas producer Eni has made two new oil discoveries in Block 15/06, in deep Angolan waters. Eni is the operator of Block 15/06, holding a 35% working interest in the block.

The discovery wells, Nzana-1 and Cinguvu-1 were drilled with Saipem-owned Scarabeo 7, a semi-submersible oil rig operable at water depths up to 4,900 ft with the capacity to drill down to 25,000 ft. The wells were drilled to a depth of nearly 1,400 meters and located roughly 350 km northwest of Luanda.

The Nzanza-1 well produced oil with a density of 18 API gravity at rates above 1,600 barrels/day. The Cinguvu-1 production tests reached a maximum flow of 6,400 barrels/day of oil with a density of 23 API gravity.

The other partners are Sonangol P&P (15%), SSI Fifteen Ltd. (20%), Total (15%), Petrobras (5%), Falcon Oil Holding Angola AS (5%), and Statoil Angola Block 15/06 AS (5%).

Nzanza-1 and Cinguvu-1 results follow the success of Cabaça Norte-1 reaching a count of three consecutive oil discoveries in the block in 2009, and five in total, including Sangos and NGoma drilled by Block 15/06 partnership in 2008. Additional exploratory wells will be drilled in Block 15/06 yet this year.

Elsewhere, adjacent to the Cabinda coastline in Angola, in Block 0, an ENI subsidiary holds a 9.8% interest in Chevron’s Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. Ltd.-operated 79-3XST1 discovery well. Drilled in March in 397 feet of water to 13,000 feet, the well encountered over 225 feet of net hydrocarbon pay. The well was tested from a single 150 ft. perforated interval and flowed at a rate of 11.6 million cubic feet of natural gas and 2,550 barrels of liquid hydrocarbons per day.