Additional Information - Block 2102

In June 2006 Wilton bid for two exploration blocks in the onshore Madagascar licensing round. In October 2006 Wilton was awarded a 100% interest in Block 2102 situated in the centre of the Majunga Basin in the northwest of the country. The effective date for this licence is July 9th 2007. In July 2010 Wilton diverted an 80% interest and operatorship to Ophir Madagascar Limited.

Block 2102 location map

The Majunga Basin has seen very little previous exploration because of a traditional focus on the tar sands and heavy oil known in the Karroo in the Morondava Basin to the south. Pre-existing data in Block 2102 have been re-processed and re-interpreted within the context of a regional plate tectonic framework. This has provided a greatly improved understanding of the geology of the area and yielded exciting new insights into its petroleum prospectivity.

The block covers two distinct petroleum systems. Its inner part contains part of a well-developed Karroo rift basin that was the focus for the most recent exploration effort. That was by Shell (1989-93), who drilled two dry holes immediately to the southwest of the block. The outer part of the block contains part of the passive margin and underlying rift basin that was initiated in the Lower Jurassic when Madagascar broke away from Africa. This basin continues into the offshore where it is currently being explored by ExxonMobil, BG and others, with a deep water well planned for 2008.

Wilton believes that the onshore part of the passive margin basin in Block 2102 may be equally if not more prospective than the offshore. A large prospect has been clearly defined from the existing seismic data and is considered mature for drilling. This is a conventional oil play; heavy oil is not expected. From a petroleum perspective this area is completely undrilled, not only in the block but in the entire onshore part of the basin. Intriguingly however, a shallow coal exploration well within the Jurassic rift section in the northern part of the basin encountered porous sands so heavily impregnated with bitumen that drilling had to be abandoned. Additionally, Jurassic outcrops nearby are heavily oil-impregnated.

Structural elements map, Majunga Basin

In addition to seismic reprocessing and re-interpretation Wilton carried out extensive geological field work in 2007. Also in 2007, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was carried out by the consulting firm SOGREAH in preparation for 2D seismic acquisition. This has been submitted to ONE, the Malagasy Ministry for the Environment, and a permit for acquisition is expected to be approved shortly. A summary of the EIA report is available below.