The Norwegian oil company Det Norsk Olse-Selskap (DNO) started operations on Thursday to drill the first well for the prospection of natural gas at the Inhaminga Block, in the administrative post of Savane, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala, reports Friday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
The start of drilling was delayed by a few days: initially a start date of 25 June was announced.
DNO director Aasmund Erlansen says that the first results are expected within the next 20 days.
Speaking during the launching ceremony, Erlansen estimated at less than 20 per cent the probability of finding natural gas in that area, but thought it possible that oil may also exist in Inhaminga. "We will have exact indications within a few weeks", he said.
Speaking of the workforce, he said that few Mozambicans will find employment in the undertaking during the prospection stage because it requires expertise in this field.
He said that about 70 workers have been hired. They include some Mozambicans, but also workers from Norway, China, Holland, Yugoslavia and South Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sofala provincial governor Felicio Zacarias expressed hope that gas would be found in Inhaminga, but said "it would be good if oil were discovered, then we could breathe more easily. We need this project to succeed".
The Savane well will be 1,972 metres deep, and the next one, to be bored at the locality of Corone-1, in the district of Muanza, also in Sofala, is to be 2,195 metres deep.
Fonte: AIM
