BW Energy today announced that second sidetrack DBM-1 ST2 well has confirmed the substantial oil discovery with good reservoir and fluid quality of the Bourdon prospect in the Dussafu Licence offshore Gabon, announced on 7 March 2025. Management estimates indicate 56 million barrels oil in place of which approximately 25 million barrels are considered recoverable.  

BW Energy is operator and holds a 73.5 percent working interest in the Dussafu Marin Permit. Panoro holds a 17.5 percent working interest and Gabon Oil Company holds a 9 percent working interest.

“The appraisal well confirms the potential for establishing a new development cluster with a production facility following the MaBoMo blueprint. We expect at least four producing wells,” said Carl K. Arnet, CEO of BW Energy. “We continue to successfully expand the Dussafu reserve base which, together with multiple additional prospects yet to be to be drilled, will support long-term production and value-creation in Gabon.”   

John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro, commented, “Our latest drilling success at Bourdon has confirmed the exciting possibility for the partners to establish a new development hub incorporating Bourdon and other nearby prospects, as we have done already at the Tortue and Hibiscus/Ruche fields. Our belief that Dussafu is a highly attractive block on which to further explore for oil is reinforced, and with a large inventory of as yet undrilled prospects and leads there is tremendous headroom to unlock further substantial organic reserve and production upside for many years to come.” 

Initial data shows that oil from Bourdon field has the lowest viscosity of the Dussafu discoveries measuring an average of 3.5 centipoise (cp), compared to 5 cp and 7 cp for the Hibiscus / Tortue and Ruche fields, respectively.  

Evaluation of logging data and formation pressure measurements confirm approximately 11.2 metres of pay in an overall hydrocarbon column of 35.2 metres in the Gamba formation. The well was drilled by the Norve jack-up rig to a total depth of 4,731 metres. 

KeyFacts Energy: BW Energy Gabon country profile   l   Panoro Energy Gabon country profile