Obstruction delays progress at Aminex well

16th Sep 2011 10:18

Aminex, the Africa and US focused oil and gas firm, saw its share price dip after the mining firm reported that it was unable to progress past a blockage in its Nyuni-2 well. The decision was made to pull back 3,000 meters, above the area of blockage, and to side-track the well, by-passing the obstruction. Preparation for the side-track will take several days, the group said, after which drilling will recommence.Before the blockage was discovered, several days had already been spent attempting to clear rubber debris from a number of centralisers which broke away from a wireline logging tool. The firm said: "Nyuni-2 is the fourth well to be drilled by Aminex as operator in Tanzania, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Ndovu Resources Ltd, and the fifth one in which it has participated in the country. This well is being drilled using the Caroil Rig-6 to test a Lower Cretaceous age gas target in Neocomian sandstones." When drilling is completed, the rig will be used to carry out maintenance work before being rigged down and mobilised to the Ruvuma basin in south-eastern Tanzania, where it is scheduled to commence drilling another Aminex-operated exploration well later this year. Elsewhere in Tanzania, a firm order has been placed with a steel mill for the purchase of coated 6" line pipe to connect the Kiliwani North-1 gas well to gas processing and transportation facilities on Songo-Songo Island, the company added. The share price fell 5.56% to 6.38p at 10:32.NR