We intend to commence a flow testing programme on our key R3 East area fields in Q4 2024, with first commercial oil production anticipated during H2 2025/H1 2026
Our plan to first oil
Proposed Early Production Scheme (“EPS”)
Phase 1 – First oil
- Expected to deliver up to 1.5 Kbopd.
- 5 Kbopd capacity EPF to be built on site at Amdigh.
- c. 50 km pipeline to be laid between the EPF and Niger-Benin pipeline.
- Oil to be piped to the Niger-Benin pipeline, then sold on the international market.
Phase 2 – Ramp up to 5 Kbopd
- Use of existing EPF and c. 50 km pipeline.
- Construction of a gathering system to enable adjacent discovered fields (e.g. Bushiya, Eridal and Kunama) to be tied into the EPF.
- Drilling additional appraisal and development wells.
- Production expected to ramp up to c. 5 Kbopd.
Further long-term potential
After the completion of the second phase, there are two further opportunities to increase production:
- Firstly, with 146 further potential exploration targets having been identified for future drilling consideration, the addition of further resources to Savannah’s portfolio through the next phase of the planned exploration programme.
- Secondly, the initial export capacity of the Niger-Benin pipeline is 110 Kbopd. Taking into account CNPC’s planned production, over 20 Kbopd of spare capacity is expected to be available for other operators. It is also planned that eight additional pumping stations will then be installed along the 20-inch Niger-Benin pipeline, on average every 250 km, which will be linked to tie-in points every 40–50 km. – The addition of the pumping stations should ultimately increase pipeline capacity to 300 Kbopd in four phases. There is an official government target to increase oil production to 200 Kbopd by 2026.
Niger-Benin export pipeline
China National Petroleum Corporation (“CNPC”) completed construction of the Niger-Benin pipeline and terminal in Seme, Benin, in Q4 2023. On 1 November 2023, a commissioning ceremony was held in Koulélé, near Agadem in Niger, presided over by Niger’s Prime Minister, HE Mahamane Ali Lamine Zeine, and Oil Minister, HE Mahaman Moustapha Barké. The first lifting was achieved in Q2 2024, with the pipeline now reported to be fully operational and currently transporting approximately 90 Kbopd from CNPC’s licence area.
The Niger-Benin pipeline, with a total length of 1,950 km, including 1,275 km in Niger and 675 km in Benin, is the longest oil pipeline in Africa and has eight pumping stations. The initial export pipeline capacity is 110 Kbopd. In the longer term, the addition of a further eight pumping stations could increase pipeline capacity to 300 Kbopd.
