Africa Operations Summary
In 2000 and 2001, ROC acquired interests in several West African production sharing contracts in three countries, which comprise ROC's current West African acreage:
In 2007, ROC signed a PSC for an exploration area in the Mozambique Channel area with the Government of Madagascar. In 2008, ROC was awarded a neighbouring exploration permit by the Government of France.
ROC's entry to Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania exposed it to West Africa's emerging deep water potential. ROC’s first well in Africa discovered the Chinguetti Oil Field, which commenced production in 2006.
In 2004, ROC made its debut as an operator of deep water exploration wells with the Bravo-1 rank wildcat well in the Rio Muni Basin, offshore Equatorial Guinea.
The Cabinda South PSC, onshore Angola, was activated in 2004. In 2005, a ROC-operated seismic survey marked the effective return of onshore oil exploration activities in Angola after an absence of more than 30 years. A further two surveys have since been acquired in 2006 and 2007. From June 2007 to September 2008 ROC drilled 7 exploration wells. The first well resulted in the Massambala oil discovery with a shallow oil accumulation at a depth of around 400 metres. This was appraised by two wells in September-October 2008. The fifth well, Coco-1, was suspended as an oil discovery and was tested in late 2009. Operations at the Castanha-1 exploration well are in progress in early 2010.
