Botala Energy has spudded its first commercial production well at the Serowe coal bed methane (CBM) project in Botswana.
The well, known as Serowe-3.5B, is the centrepiece of the Project Pitse pilot program. Located in what the company describes as one of Botswana’s sweetest known gas spots, the well is designed to deliver commercial flow rates and unlock the multi-billion cubic feet (BCF) potential of Botala’s massive 4,200km² acreage.
This latest development follows highly encouraging results from a previous well, Serowe-3.3, where testing confirmed strong permeability in both the Serowe and Upper Morupule coal seams.
Botala is now using that data to optimise 3.5B, which will serve as the principal production hub for the current cluster.
Botala Energy CEO Kris Martinick said the spudding was a major step forward for the company and the broader Serowe CBM project.
“The well could be transformative, by unlocking the multi-BCF potential of Botala’s 4,200 square kilometres acreage position over one of Botswana’s sweetest known gas spot.
“It is the principal production well in this phase of the project and is expected to deliver critical data on flow performance and provide further confidence in our pathway toward commercial gas production.
“Importantly, the well design has benefited from the strong technical results achieved at our first stimulated well, 3.3.”
To ensure maximum gas flow, Botala has already completed a purpose-built dewatering network consisting of four support wells. These wells are designed to depressurise the surrounding coal seams, effectively priming the reservoir for 3.5B to begin extraction.
The project arrives at a critical time for the region, with Southern Africa facing a significant forecast energy shortfall.
Botala eventually aims to scale production to a commercial LNG development, targeting up to 3.5 petajoules (PJ) per year.
Data gathered from the drilling and subsequent flow testing of 3.5B will be fast-tracked into a bankable feasibility study (BFS), which will determine the ultimate commercial viability and reserve size of the Serowe project.