Drilling in South Africa – Where We’re At

It’s the end of the year and if you’ve been to a mall lately, you’ll have noticed that it’s almost Christmas. Drilling in South Africa is booming, with projects previously abandoned starting up again moving into the new year. In our article about industrial drilling in 2018, we show how drilling technology will scale along with our ever-growing reliance on fossil fuels and other drillable commodities. Here, we’re looking at a few projects geared up to commence in 2018:

Total E&P Drilling in the Outeniqua Basin

South African oil player, Total E&P, is returning to the Cape of Storms next year, to drill oil while battling some of the most turbulent water on earth. Total awarded the drilling rig contract to Norwegian-based offshore drillers, Odfjell Drilling. They’ll be tasked with constructing the semi-submersible drilling rig just off the eastern coast of South Africa.

“The contract value including compensation for mobilization/demobilization period is estimated up to $55 million. Odfjell expects the drilling of the firm well to take 60-80 days.”

Eni & Sasol Drilling off the KZN Coast

Italian multinational oil and gas giant, Eni – partnering with Sasol Africa – expects to begin drilling in KwaZulu-Natal in late 2018. The drillships will be exploring and drilling around four wells off the eastern coast of South Africa, looking for hydrocarbon reservoirs in the area.

“The Eni gas and oil exploration project forms part of the South African government’s Operation Phakisa initiative that aims to tap into the economic potential of the ocean.”

Botswana Diamonds Drilling in Limpopo

Botswana Diamonds’ Zebediela project in Limpopo has been operational since October, and the announcement of this saw their shares on the LDD rise 20% almost immediately. In search of kimberlite, the Irish-based diamond exploration and project development company will drill multiple pilot holes to delineate the far-reaching kimberlite vein.

“Seventeen reverse circulation percussion holes have recently been drilled at Zebediela on the farms Frischgewaagt, Hartbeesfontein and Doornrivier, in Limpopo.”