• Botala completes second of four pilot wells it is drilling for the Project Pitse pilot production program
  • Rig has spudded third well Serowe-3.5, the central production well for Project Pitse
  • Design of proposed Serowe Energy Hub also continuing

 

Botala is now halfway through drilling of wells for the Project Pitse pilot production program at its Serowe coal bed methane project in Botswana, with the second well completed ahead of time and on budget.

The company has been speeding ahead with the four wells, which represent the inaugural commercial pilot production program that will determine the commercial flow-rate potential within the surrounds of the Serowe-3.1 well that was spudded back in July 2021.

Three of the four wells will test gas that comes from the Serowe, Upper and Lower Morupule coal seams whilst the fourth well will drill through the Serowe coal seam only, to determine the contribution of gas from this seam.

Serowe-3.1 itself has already flowed gas to surface, proving that the targets coals have opened up and are now degassing – a process that provides useful data for Project Pitse.

The flared gas also proved that gas can be brought to the surface from simple vertical wells, avoiding the need for expensive horizontal wells.

Botala Energy (ASX:BTE) has already defined a best estimate (2C) contingent resource of 317 billion cubic feet of gas at the project, enough to fuel Botswana’s existing gas power station at Orapa for about 20 years.

 

Second well completed

The company has completed Serowe-3.3, which was drilled to a total depth of 440m pursuing the highly prospective upper two coal seams with 24m of net coal in the Serowe and Upper Morupule seams.

It relocated the rig to the Serowe-3.5 site over the weekend and has since spudded that well, which will be the central production well for Project Pitse.

 

Botala Energy
Project Pitse well locations. Pic: Supplied (BTE).

 

“It’s encouraging to see the ~14m thick Serowe coal seam (our primary target) was almost identical to that encountered at our initial Serowe-3.1, and subsequently 3-2, wells,” chief executive officer Kris Martinick said.

“Serowe-3.3 was designed to only test the Serowe seam. It is the bright, gaseous Serowe coal seam with its favourable permeability, which distinguishes our acreage.

“Our ability to flare gas at Serowe-3.1 from a simple vertical well without any stimulation builds great confidence in Project Pitse.”

 

Other activity

Botala is progressing its goal of designing and potentially implement development of a small hybrid power station at the proposed Serowe Energy Hub.

Project Pitse itself represents one of the planned phases of the proposed hub with the pilot wells being the first sub-phase that will then be followed by small gas power generator and a hybrid power station that will incorporate solar power.

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Botala Energy, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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