It clearly hopes the pair will prove to be larger scale discoveries than the 25 million-barrel Sable oilfield, currently under development, and the last wildcat drilled in the country, Phillips' Rhino-1 off Durban, which is thought to have been a dry hole. Pioneer's first well is targeting the turbidite Mamba prospect in block 14, which lies to the south-east of Port Elizabeth.
Pioneer launches an African expedition
US INDEPENDENT Pioneer Natural Resources has spudded the first of two back-to-back exploration wells off South Africa.
13 October 2000 0:00 GMT
Updated
13 October 2000 0:00 GMT