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Kingbilly,
The forward price of gas in Spain dropped circa 20% in the last two weeks so I don’t know if it’s permanent or temporary, it’s still circa $11 mcf in Morocco, less than the $15 previously.
Jimmy
Obviously, I am a little disappointed in the deal, but the rise in rig costs and lower gas prices squeezed this deal hard. Listening to the presentation, I got the impression that an issue arose as to how each of the reservoirs would perform on flow test, not that they would not flow , but the reservoir pressure of one zone could impede the reservoir performance of another zone in the same well bore, requiring separate completions and tubing , as a consequence project finance option was not available at this time. There was no hope of an equity funding to drill again so farm out was the only option.
The good news is that there is a route to free production cashflow without recourse to shareholders and the additional funding leaves chariot well cashed up.
In terms of reserves, we start with 637 bcf at 75% = 477.75 bcf and probably expected to give away 50% at least in a farm down to circa 238 bcf, instead we are getting 20% of a highly likely 1000 bcf = 200bcf, and if the O sands proove up as indicated by the seismic amplitude anomaly then it’s also highly likely that the O sand directly below anchois 1 also is gas bearing which will bring reserves to a gross 1.4 tcf or 280 bcf net to chariot, for no cash outlay by chariot.
The development plan includes a redrilled of anchois 1 so drilling slightly deeper to include the o sand below is very low cost.
The presentation states that the modelling of individual well productions demonstrated 100 to 200 mmcf per day per well, as I have suggested previously, so increasing daily production to 200 mmcf per day from three production wells is obvious but it hugely impacts positive cashflow.
The Gas in O sand and its thick reservoir have been proven in anchois 2 so this is a very low risk.
Chariot has a route to cashflow without any significant equity dilution risk.
I still think that the first onshore well will surprise to the upside, but let’s see what q1 brings.
Jimmy
I am also invested in chariot, and to days announcement shows the importance of getting a flow test.
Yes, the capex has increased substantially, but also the increase in daily production to 200 mmcf per day.
So while there maybe be some carried capex to be repaid from cashflow, the payback period is very fast at such high production rates.
Jimmy
Assuming a worst case scenario of 20% equity interest carried through development , the current proven gas reservoirs can easily produce 200 mmcf per day from three producers,
Assuming a $10 mcf gas price that generates $146 million p.a in revenue for a very long time, net of opex and royalties it’s worth about £100 million per year.
Then there is the low risk opportunity to double reserves with the inclusion of the O sands which have already proven both reservoir and gas.
Strong buy
Jimmy
Great news,
The O sands have proven gas in anchois 2 so proving additional gas in the O sands in anchois 3 production well is very low risk. Production at 200 mmcf per day is a huge cash generator.
Jimmy
Hi Keith,
With circa 150 meters of reservoir in three wells and prd is testing 25 meters, why not mobilize a lengthy perforation gun from abroad and test the entirety and generate both great data and value. I suspect full value for behind pipe gas, will not be given by either the equity markets or indeed an asset sale or farm out. As they have the funds, why not just do the lot.
Jimmy
kb,and newktb,
of course i am waiting like everyone else for the farm out.
chariot have moved on from namibia , but it has a residual interest in block beside that held by galp. so you never know.
i do like the onshore morocco gas prospects which could de risk the sub nappe offshore where there are giant gas prospect.
the sp**** announcements don’t leave a lot to discuss.
hopefully, an rns soon on the mauritania pilot plant project.
jimmy
Remember Namibia.
Chariot actually have a 10% carried interest in the block east of galps forthcoming well.
See.
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/offshore-oil-gas-exploration-heats-up-in-namibia-as-galp-spuds-prospect-while-chevron-seeks-green-light-for-multi-well-drilling-program/
Jimmy
Hi Nigel,
Yes I remember you did talk about the cost of cng tankers previously. From a security perspective are they any different from tankers of petrol or diesel which don’t require added security. In any event the cng is being sold pre transportation so I am sure the buyer looked into that before signing the mou.
Jimmy
Hi wiggly,
The Eni well was scheduled to complete by the end of November .
I don’t think it will be a problem for chariot as even if it’s a success it will be many years behind chariot. It might also be looking for oil.
Jimmy
Mossma,
The last rns stated.
2024 drilling programme and schedule will be proposed to ONHYM after completion of the rigless testing programme and upon entering the First Extension Period of the Guercif Petroleum Agreement.
That seems to me that the testing is part of the current work programme and not the first extension.
It could be poorly drafted, or I have read it incorrectly, what really matters is that the testing finally gets done.
Jimmy
SDX drilled the lnb 1 well in 2018 which encountered a new geological horizon . This well is located in chariots onshore acreage.
The SDX rns stated.
The LNB-1 well was drilled to a total depth of 1861 meters. The primary target was in the Lafkerena sequence, where 300 meters of gas bearing horizons were encountered in a significantly over-pressured section. The mudlog obtained through the section showed elevated gas readings of more than 20% with multiple sections above 50%. This section could not be logged using conventional methods due to hole conditions.
The gas shows in this section contained heavier hydrocarbon components throughout, which is indicative of a thermogenic hydrocarbon source rock. These types of shows have not been seen to date in other parts of the basin and indicate that a new petroleum system has been encountered in this area. Based on the mudlog shows, reservoir quality information from the formation cuttings, analogue fields (outside the Gharb basin), and the size of the feature as currently mapped, a preliminary recoverable gas volume has been estimated by management. This results in an un-risked mid-case volume of 10.2 Bscf of conventional natural gas and 55 thousand barrels of condensate. This is significantly larger than the traps typically encountered in Sebou and would exceed the size required to justify development and connection to the existing infrastructure in the Sebou area..
Jimmy
I expect that Afriquia will provide a loan along with an offtake contract.
Prd is finally going to flow test mou 1 and mou 3.
The testing of the mou A sand in both wells is important because predator have indicated that the sands can be seen on seismic, the depth of the mou A sand in mou 1 and 3 are at approcimately the same depth , so without the saddle between mou 1 and 3 that’s in the mou fan reservoir, furthermore, the mou A sand is reported to be in an area of 59km2 so 10 meters of reservoir over such an area will add a few hundred bcf to reserves.
The outline deal with Afriquia will move the cost of the cng trailers to the gas buyer, or a lease thereby reducing the capex to get to cashflow, which may be financed by a loan note as previously demonstrated with sound energy.
Getting to positive cashflow , without dilution , so that cashflow can be used to drill out the area for gas to power sales is the way to go.
Looking forward to the flow test results , at long last.
Jimmy
Private Tesla,
I think the relevant part of your post is that onhym now requires prd to test the wells before the licence is renewed in February.
Prd have raised funds on 3 occasions to test, so they just have to test otherwise they will have raised funds on false pretences, so would need to check their directors liability insurance.
I am sure they will test, and they have committed to do it,again, but now it has a licence obligation so they have to do it. But why wait till January, just do it now, they have the funds and the expertise to do it, so why wait.
Jimmy
Finally we are going to get a flow test, after 30 months since the completion of mou 1 and three fundraising to start the process, and if we don’t do the flow tests and file the well reports by 5th February then the renewal of the licence conditions will not have been met.
Seems like onhym want this done asap as well.
There will be approximately 25 meters of reservoir in total from three wells to be tested. The previously advised reservoir sections totaled 150 meters so what’s going on.
The agreement with gas offtake partner has a limit of 50 mmcf per day for cng, but that’s unlikely to be achieved as the market needs to grow to accolade such volumes. 25 meters of net reservoir should generate circ 28 to 30 mmcf per day, more than enough to get into strong production cashflow.
However, prd announced the start of an environmental impact study which is a pre requested for a concession licence, this took chariot 12 months to complete and get approval. During that time prd has to get the funds to build the cng compression facilities and it expects to be able generate funds from the production licence in T and T to do that.
I don’t fully understand Tand T economics and have not studied it in depth, so I am assuming there is logic to that.
At the heart of the valuation problem with prd is that the nuetech report states that many of the reservoirs are probably gas, not definitive.
Now if prd had paid the funds for sidewall cores and gas and fluid sampling of reservoirs then such ambiguity could have been addressed earlier. So now 30 months later we will get flow test data from the wells and hopefully this can be used re calibrate the electric logs and hopefully then have an independent expert to confirm the 150 meters of reservoir that prd have previously suggested are gas bearing.
So sometime next year, hopefully in h1, prd will drill three wells, two of which are to drill the shallow sands with high gas readings in mou 3 , oh why did they not pay the money and log such reservoirs, now they have to drill two wells , a false economy. Plus the much anticipated jurrasic which reported 2 meters of gas but is being evaluated for oil source rock, I am confused.
The guercif licence area is only 4 km from a major pipeline, prd should flow test the remaining reservoirs by sand jet asap and proceed to plan for gas to power gas sales for higher volumes.
Jimmy
The chariot onshore morocco exploration program is due to start early 2024. Chariot stated that the onshore prospects would help derisk those offshore. It did not say how.
We know that the very large gas prospects are located in the offshore rissana licences and that these are in a deeper geological horizon of the sub nappe. In addition, there is a large, but not quantified , sub nappe prospect below anchois called Crevette.
The onshore licence includes a well drilled by SDX in 2018 called lnb1 which encountered 300 meters of sand reservoirs with highly elevated gas readings. Due to poor well conditions this deeper reservoir was not logged.
The location of that well is shown on page 6 of the exploration video presentation. In addition, the lnb 1 well is shown is having proven reservoir below the gas water contact , up dip of which is the onshore gaufrette prospect with potential gas volumes of 28bcf . Page 6 of the presentation mentions 3 prospect areas and assigns recoverable gas volumes to them, but it also shows a fourth prospect type, in grey, which is not described on page 6, however on page 7 , a fourth prospect is described as a sub nappe prospect with an analogue offshore called crevette, which is below anchois. The onshore sub nappe prospect is shown as being directly below the gaufrette prospect.
An onshore well could target both prospects gaufrette and its sub nappe prospect below it and establish if the 300 meters of reservoir found downdip in lnb1 is indeed in the sub nappe, and hence derisk the giant crevette prospect below anchois.
Not long to wait.
Very frustrating no news on farm out.
Jimmy