Mputa-1 has reached a total depth of 1,186 metres, encountering oil shows over two intervals in a deep objective, the company said.
On Monday night, oil samples were recovered from the upper interval – a 10m gross thickness sand column at a depth of 935 metres, the company said.
Sampling and pressure-testing program was continuing.
Hardman CEO, Simon Potter, said the well had so far produced encouraging results.
“Even though there is still significant uncertainty about the size of Mputa and whether it has commercial potential, this well has confirmed the existence of a working petroleum system,” Potter said.
“It has been an important step in reducing exploration risk in the basin and we are looking forward to Waraga-1, the next well in the program.”
Potter said results supported further evaluation of both the Mputa-1 discovery and the surrounding area, where numerous other good prospects and leads were identified.
“In this wildcat well the reservoir sands were poorer than expected for some of the objective levels. But there is significant encouragement that the well and seismic data can provide a better understanding of reservoir sand distribution and considerably reduce the risk of other prospects,” he said.
“Further work will be required before any comment can be made on the size or commercial significance of this discovery and the potential for future resource in the area.”
Mputa-1 targeted a structural prospect defined by last year’s seismic survey with potential multiple objectives in an area with surface oil seeps, Hardman said.
Upon completion of Mputa-1, the rig will move 19 kilometres northeast to the Waraga-1 location.
Mputa-1 is 220km northwest of the Uganda Capital, Kampala, and onshore 8km from Lake Albert. It is also 60km southwest of the 1938 Butiaba Waki-1 well and 87km northeast of the Turaco exploration wells, drilled by Heritage in 2002-2004.
Block 2 is a 50/50 joint venture between Hardman Resources (operator) and Tullow Oil.
Across the other side of Africa in Mauritania, Hardman said operator Woodside was preparing to spud the Dore-1 well in PSC Area B, Block 4, with the Stena Tay drilling rig.
The Dore prospect, in about 390m of water, is about 20km east of the Tiof field, and 30km north of the Chinguetti field.
With a planned total depth of 2,388m, Dore-1 will target Oligocene aged submarine channel/turbidite sands, as well as encountering the updip extension of the Tiof Miocene canyon system.
The previous well in the program, Zoule-1, was plugged and abandoned after failing to encounter commercial hydrocarbons.
After completing Dore-1, the Stena Tay drilling rig will be released by the PSC A and B Joint Ventures, Hardman managing director Simon Potter said.
Partners and their interests in PSC B are: Woodside Mauritania Pty Ltd (operator - 53.846%); Hardman Chinguetti Production Pty Ltd (21.6%); BG Group (11.63%); Premier Oil Mauritania B Limited (9.231%); Roc Oil Company (3.693%).
