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Pacific Gull spent several days dockside in Walvis Bay loading more equipment. Anyone using Marine Tracker will see her making her way back to Venus to support Maersk Voyager. Drilling continues at Venus….. results may confirm flow rates & volumes in the area. Shell Graff is just 35nm away. The Venus results now become even more important as they will prove up ( hopefully) commercial viability across the region. Should be next week!
https://twitter.com/neweranewspaper/status/1489536572206862340?s=21
In fact, thinking about it, surely it wouldn’t be appropriate for the Govmt to be announcing this first. Would Shell not be duty bound to break the news to their own shareholders first by RNS? Maybe we will hear something tomorrow from Shell ???? Any thoughts ?
Shell themselves announce their Q4 results tomorrow. I think they’ll keep silent on Graff….. but there again, might it be a case of the Namibian Govmt saying ‘you announce it on Thursday to your shareholders’…. we’ll follow up on Friday with our press conference ? There’s a chance of this all being announced tomorrow by Shell !
…and not just an announcement. A “formal press conference”. This implies there being lots to talk about and that press attendance is required, no doubt with lots of Q&As. In my mind, a “ formal press conference” as opposed to a simple ‘announcement’ is very telling. Just my thoughts.
Oliversydney…. the other thing to consider is that oil discoveries and potential new wells are no longer a cause for open public celebration by governments. With the push on greener alternatives, any Govmt planning on expanding oil operations will have a lot of sensitivities to deal with. For this reason, I don’t think an announcement would be needed if there had not been a commercial discovery. Far more likely that an announcement is being very carefully planned & worded because there HAS been a commercial discovery and they need to break the news in a controlled and sensitive manner. Just my thoughts
Venus well - Pacific Legend heads back to Walvis, Pacific Guillemot back at Venus and hoisting equipment over to the drill ship, Maersk Voyager. Drilling continues, now on Day 65 of an estimated 60 - 70 day exercise.
Shell Graff - no transfer of equipment onto the drill ship, Ensco DS-10, for 4 days now. Indicative of drilling being completed & target zone hit. Shell will have been spending the past few days testing pressure and flow rates on the discoveries they have made. Joint announcement to be made with Namibia Oil Minister by 4th Feb…. AT THE LATEST…. today is 2nd Feb !!
I’ve been watching Bourbon Rainbow for a few days wondering whether it would make a further trip to Shell Graff. I can see that it is now on its way to Luanda. Therefore mission accomplished at Shell Graff. Just Bourbon Calm left there but it hasn’t been near Maersk Voyager for at least 3 days. No unloading of equipment happening. The well is drilled !!!!
Venus - Pacific Legend still unloading equipment… drilling continues
Graff - Bourbon Calm is in distant proximity with no unloading for around 3 days now. Graff drill completed, oils found on the way down, any discoveries in the target zone to be announced by Shell / Namibian government by 2nd Feb AT THE LATEST. Today is 31st Jan !!
I saw this as an out & out gamble Hutesiman, so I don’t have a target at the moment. I do think the odds are stacked in our favour now though but I’m looking for confirmed news from Shell and/or Total followed by a Global RNS before considering an investment strategy. Good luck
No worries. I see that a new vessel has indeed arrived to support Maersk Voyager at the Venus site (Pacific Legend). This implies that more equipment is still being hoisted over to Maersk and that drilling is still in progress.
Meanwhile, over at Graff (search for Ensco DS10), no more supply vessels have arrived. There is just Bourbon Calm and a tug boat, positioned some distance away. No unloading going on. I suppose another vessel might still turn but I think it’s more likely that the Graff drill is complete and the target zone reached. Like I said in an earlier post, not facts, just educated guesses. Good luck.
Yup…really. But do your own research. Here’s a good starting point for you but you’ll need to watch the vessel movements for a few days to follow the patterns.
Bourbon Rainbow is definitely gone from Graff and is anchored back at Walvis Bay.
As for Venus (see link) I can see that Pacific Guillemot is leaving now. However, other information I have leads me to believe that it will be replaced by a different vessel in the coming days because the drill is still in progress and more equipment is needed for the final penetration into the target zone. If that information is correct, another ship should arrive at Venus in the next few days to accompany Gull which is already there. All the best
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:13.3/centery:-29.5/zoom:10
Bourbon Rainbow which has supported the Shell Graff drill ship ( Ensco 10) for the last 6 weeks, is now back at Walvis Bay. Something has changed at Shell Graff…. perhaps more evidence that drilling is now complete !!! News of any target zone discovery could literally break at any time.