Seek and find: Block 31 has delivered yet another discovery
Partners' joy at Block 31 bounty
The partners in Block 31, off Angola, are celebrating after the Astraea-1 well hit oil - the eighth discovery on the deep-water block so far.
US player Marathon, one of the block's partners, said the find, along with three earlier discoveries - Ceres, Palas and Juno - made in the block's south-eastern sector, reinforce the likelihood of a second development area on Block 31.
Astraea-1 was sunk about 60 kilometres south-east of the planned North-east Development Area, which holds the Plutao, Saturno, Marte and Venus discoveries.
The latest find lies about 165 kilometres off Angola in 1496 metres of water. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3840 metres and tested at a maximum rate of 6513 barrels of oil per day.
Block 31's concessionaire is Angola's state-owned Sonangol. BP (26.67%) is operator. The other Block 31 partners are ExxonMobil (25%), Sonangol (20%), Statoil (13.33%), Marathon (10%) and Total (5%).
First production in Block 31 is forecast for 2009 or 2010.
BP is currently drilling another well, Hebe, in the south-eastern sector of the block.