30th Nov 2011 07:00
30 November 2011
Chariot Oil & Gas Limited
('Chariot' or 'the Company')
Operational Update
Chariot Oil & Gas Limited (AIM: CHAR), the Africa focused oil and gas exploration company, today provides an update with regard to its drill rig contract negotiations. As reported in the Interim statement on 24 October 2011, the Company has been aggressively pursuing various rig options for drilling its Tapir South prospect (located in Northern Block 1811 A offshore Namibia), which included an option that would have enabled the well to spud prior to the 2011 year end.
As Chariot noted previously, the market for deepwater rigs has tightened markedly, making it more challenging to secure an appropriate rig to carry out a one-well programme in Namibia without paying a significant premium.
As mentioned in the Interim statement, Chariot's Tapir South prospect is drill ready - all long lead items have been delivered, all service contracts signed, the support base secured and the drill permit granted. However, the rig anticipated to be available for the Q4 2011 spud has been contracted by another operator for a longer programme. As a result of this change in programme the rig will no longer be coming into the area in the requisite timeframe.
The Company is in active negotiations regarding a number of other available rigs and now expects to spud the Tapir South exploration well in Q2 2012. This timing is subject to ongoing negotiations and further to a rig contract being formally signed, the Company will update the market with the anticipated spud date.
Paul Welch, Chief Executive of Chariot Oil and Gas, said:
"Whilst it is disappointing not to have secured a rig to drill Tapir South this year, we continue to negotiate other options at commercially attractive rates. The rig market is tight but also very dynamic and whilst we are looking to drill as soon as possible next year, we need to manage this to optimise our drilling programme going forward.
"We are looking forward to 2012 which should be a pivotal year for Chariot with an exploration well in each of our Northern and Southern blocks expected, plus the results of the 3D seismic survey currently underway on our Central blocks. We continue to pursue our longer term strategy of drilling 4-5 wells through to end 2013 and will report on further progress as soon as possible."
For further information please contact:
|
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Chariot
Chariot Oil & Gas Limited (www.chariotoilandgas.com) is an independent oil and gas exploration group. The Group currently holds licences covering eight blocks in Namibia, all of which are offshore. All of these blocks are currently in the exploration phase.
Shares in Chariot Oil & Gas limited are admitted to trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol 'CHAR'.
Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
Related Shares:
Chariot