BW Energy has started production from the second well, DHIBM-4H, of the Hibiscus / Ruche Phase 1 development project in the Dussafu licence offshore Gabon.

Production of nearly 6,000 barrels a day (bopd) from the DHIBM-4H well aligns with expectations, the firm said.

The well has been drilled using Borr Norve jackup rig to a total depth of 4,800m into Gamba sandstone reservoirs on the Hibiscus field. It has been drilled from the BW MaBoMo production facility.

BW Energy CEO Carl Krogh Arnet said: "We continue to progress the Hibiscus/Ruche drilling campaign with excellent HSE performance. We still have several wells to complete which will deliver successive production growth in Gabon through 2023 and into early 2024.”

The Borr Norve jackup has now started drilling operations on the third production well, DHIBM-5H.

The Hibiscus/Ruche Phase 1 development involves drilling of four wells at Hibiscus Gamba and two wells at Ruche Gamba.

Upon completion of drilling campaign, the project is expected to add 30,000bopd in early 2024.

The oil produced from Hibiscus/Ruche project is being transported using a pipeline to the BW Adolo floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) for processing and storage before offloading it to oil tankers.

The first well on the Hibiscus field, DHIBM-3H, started production in early April 2023.

BW Energy Gabon operates the Dussafu license with 73.5% stake while Panoro Energy and Gabon Oil Company own 17.5% and 9% stakes, respectively.

Panoro CEO John Hamilton said: “With two wells now onstream at the Hibiscus field Panoro’s group production is moving towards the 10,000bopd level, keeping us on track to achieve group production of 13,000bopd net to Panoro when all six new Hibiscus/Ruche Phase I wells are onstream.”