Exalo Drilling, a subsidiary of PGNiG, a Polish gas company, received its first drilling contract in Tanzania on July 6. The construction will begin in September and will cover the Songo Songo offshore gas production, which is controlled by the Canadian company, Orca Exploration.

The reconditioning of two wells and the drilling of a secondary well are among Exalo’s requirements. Orca will work to keep gas production at Songo Songo up and running by reconditioning wells and adding more gas compressors.

The platform that will carry out the programme will be transported from Pila, Poland, to Gdynia, Poland, from where it will travel to East Africa in the second week of July. Exalo’s entrance into the African market isn’t the company’s first. It has previously conducted research projects in North and Central Africa.

Tanzania’s main natural gas production field is Songo Songo. Orca has eight wells in the field and wants to increase output.

The Songo Songo field is located in shallow water 15 kilometres from the coast, under a 170-square-kilometre licence. The facility produces 45 million cubic feet per day with a quantity delivered to the State Oil Company (TPDC), which resells it to Songas Limited for use in domestic electricity generating.