A drilling rig operating in the waters off of Nigeria has struck oil in a new layer of rock. The rig, working through strata dating back to the Miocene epoch, found hydrocarbons at three depths along a 65-foot track while drilling. It was operated by Allied Energy PLC, with additional support provided by an energy company in Houston, Texas.

1. New Oil Discovered in
Nigerian Offshore Field
By Kashim Bukar Shettima

2. Introduction

A drilling rig operating in the waters off
of Nigeria has struck oil in a new layer
of rock. The rig, working through strata
dating back to the Miocene
epoch, found hydrocarbons at three
depths along a 65-foot track while
drilling. It was operated by Allied
Energy PLC, with additional support
provided by an energy company in
Houston, Texas.

3. About Miocene

The Oyo oil field, where the Miocene
find occurred, opened in late 2009 and
has been producing oil ever since.
The oil field lies about 75 miles from
the coast of southern Nigeria under
water 200 to 500 meters deep. Most
wells in the field drill in rock from the
Pliocene epoch.

4. Conclusion

The companies operating the well
where the Miocene oil was found said
the rig has satisfied its current
objectives and suspended its
operation for a short time. The team
plans to begin horizontal drilling in
early 2014 and hopes to bring the well
into production by the middle of the
year.