Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol) and BP Exploration (Angola) Limited today announced the ‘Cordelia’ oil discovery in ultra-deepwater Block 31, offshore Angola. Cordelia is the fourteenth discovery that BP has drilled in Block 31. The well is located approximately 3.5 kilometres to the south-east of the recently announced Miranda discovery.
Cordelia was drilled by the Jack Ryan drill ship, in a water depth of 2,308 metres, some 371 kilometres north west of Luanda and reached a total depth of 4040 metres TVD below sea level.
The well was tested at an operationally restricted flow rate of 2,063 standard barrels of oil a day (stb/d) through a 20/64 inch choke.
Sonangol is the concessionaire of Block 31. BP Exploration (Angola) Limited as operator holds 26.67 percent. The other interest owners in Block 31 are Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Block 31) Limited (25 percent), Sonangol E.P. (20 percent), Statoil Angola A.S. (13.33 percent), Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Limited (10 percent) and TEPA (BLOCK 31) LIMITED, (a subsidiary of the Total Group) with 5 percent.
BP’s involvement with Angola goes back to the mid 1970s. During the 1990s, BP made very substantial investments in Angola’s offshore oil and it is now an important part of the company’s upstream portfolio. BP has interests in four blocks with operated interests in two.
Operatorship of Block 31 was awarded to BP Exploration (Angola) Limited in May 1999. The block covers an area of 5,349 square kilometres and lies in water depths of between 1,500 and 2,500 metres.
BP also has operated interests (BP 50.00% equity) in Block 18 where the Greater Plutonio Project is currently being developed and is due to come on stream in 2007.
BP has non-operated interests in Block 15, operated by Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited (BP 26.67 % equity) and in Block 17 operated by Total (BP 16.67 % equity).
BP also has a 13.6 per cent interest in the Angola LNG project.

(BP Press Release)