Kevin Okyere’s Springfield Hits New Milestone with Afina-1x Well Appraisal

Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP), led by Kevin Okyere continues to rewrite the narrative of Ghana’s oil and gas industry, especially with the latest successful appraisal of the Afina well offshore Ghana, writes Nume Ekeghe

Springfield Exploration and Production Limited has again proven its operational capacity and understanding of its terrain, with the recent successful appraisal of the Afina-1x well, a move that could significantly shape Ghana’s energy future.

This development, led by the company’s CEO, Kevin Okyere, has captured the attention of not only industry stakeholders but the entire nation as it demonstrates a local operator’s resilience, adaptability, and technical proficiency in a domain often dominated by multinational giants. 

The recent activities surrounding the Afina-1x well, along with the associated unitisation ruling, have placed Springfield at the forefront of Ghana’s oil sector and could play a key role in supporting the country’s economic ambitions and long-term energy security.

This move toward a more robust and locally-driven oil industry can be traced back to a landmark tribunal ruling that directed the government of Ghana to permit Springfield’s completion of the Afina-Sankofaunitisation. The ruling was pivotal because it clarified the legal framework within which Springfield would operate, ensuring that its endeavours were well-supported by the government’s trust and the affirmation of Springfield’s legal position.

It resolved a dispute between the government, Eni Ghana Exploration, and Vitol Energy, ultimately favouring Springfield. By doing so, it placed a Ghanaian company at the heart of an initiative that could help mitigate production decline and significantly boost the nation’s oil output, reinforcing the idea that local operators can not only hold their own against international competition but can excel and drive industry-wide progress.

On October 17, 2024, a key milestone was reached as the DeepseaBollsta offshore rig, contracted from the Northern Ocean in Norway, arrived at the Afina-1x well in the West Cape Three Points Block 2. This event marked the start of Springfield’s mandated six-month appraisal timeline as outlined by the tribunal’s decision in July. 

The presence of the Deepsea Bollsta at the site was not merely symbolic; it reflected Springfield’s ability to secure a top-tier rig in a highly competitive market. As Springfield’s CEO, Kevin Okyere, highlighted, securing a rig at a time when they were scarce was no small feat. The company managed to find one and commence drilling within just three months despite industry-wide constraints. 

Okyere’s pride in reaching this milestone was evident. “We have a clear understanding of what being an upstream operator entails, and so we have hired the best possible team with over 60 years of collective experience working for all the super-majors and majors of the world,” he said. 

“We work with all the best blue-chip companies to execute all technical works, studies, and drilling programmes. Being a smaller operator but working with the same expertise and diligence as the big operators, we can make decisions swiftly to benefit all our stakeholders, including the government and people of Ghana,” he added.

For Springfield, this phase of work on Afina-1x was more than just another oilfield operation. It formed part of the company’s broader vision for an independent and resilient Ghanaian oil sector. The project, representing a $200 million investment to date, symbolised what can be achieved when local enterprise takes bold steps into areas historically dominated by larger international firms. 

The mandated appraisal, estimated at $65 million, aimed to solidify Springfield’s position while underscoring the importance of technical precision and collaboration with world-class partners. The project spanned six weeks and served as a testament to Springfield’s thorough approach to exploration, development, and production.

The significance of the endeavours went beyond corporate growth. It signified a strategic step in ensuring that Ghana’s production does not stagnate or decline. There is a fundamental national interest in stabilisingand enhancing output from key oil fields, and Springfield’s efforts, backed by strong government support, align perfectly with this national priority. 

As Okyere himself stated at a stakeholders’ engagement: “We’re going ahead to build this appraisal well to help stop the decline in Ghana’s production and boost output for our economy.” 

Such a statement underlines the alignment of Springfield’s corporate interests with Ghana’s broader developmental goals. Okyere’scommitment to the national cause is further reflected in his words: “With the properties that we’ve seen, it should be beyond a miracle for the oil not to flow.”

The approach taken by Springfield has not been without its fair share of challenges. The company had to navigate complex legal, technical, and logistical hurdles to ensure that the Afina-1x appraisal became a reality.

“Our research has shown that during this busy time in the drilling industry, rigs would not be available for another year, and yet Springfield managed to find one, and drilling commenced. This has all happened within a space of three months. It is worthy of note that consistent with its track record and show of resilience, despite what challenges Springfield has faced, it always bounces back stronger and find solutions for every situation it finds itself in,” Okyere also said.

Beyond the initial arrival of the Deepsea Bollsta and the launch of the appraisal drilling, Springfield’s most recent success is the completion of the appraisal well test activity of the Afina discovery by a re-entry of the same well. The Afina-1x, drilled in 2019, sits at a water depth of 1030 metres and was drilled to a total depth of 4085 metres. 

It encountered light oil with a gross thickness of 65 metres, with 50 metres light net oil pay in good quality Cenomanian sandstones. The secondary target at the edge of the structure, contained in Turonian age sands, encountered 10 metres of hydrocarbon-bearing sands consisting of gas/condensate. This geological data was previously indicative of the block’s potential, but the latest drill stem tests (DST) have now crystallised those expectations into tangible proof of reservoir productivity.

The Afina-1x DST conducted on the Cenomanian sandstone flowed at a maximum rate of 4500 barrels of oil per day, confirming good reservoir productivity on the upper end of pre-test expectations. Pressure transient analysis revealed reservoir pressure depletion compared to 2019 levels, indicating that depletion had occurred through production. 

A mini-DST on the Turonian sandstone confirmed the presence of gas/condensate and indicated an estimated flow rate potential of up to 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). Pressure transient analysis from this reservoir showed pressures consistent with those collected in 2019. 

With the successful completion of the appraisal well-test activity, Springfield continues to make history as the first Independent Ghanaian and African Energy Company to operate a deep-water asset and find hydrocarbons. 

Chief Executive Officer of Springfield, Kevin Okyere, said: “We are extremely happy with the results of the appraisal programme, which has further confirmed our understanding of our geological, geophysical, and reservoir models and demonstrated our operational capacity. 

“Afina-1x is a vertical well and we are confident that a horizontal well or other well completion options that maximise reservoir exposure in the fields would deliver much higher production rates. This provides an incredible platform for reaffirming commercial development options for the Cenomanian and Turonian reservoirs. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Springfield team and Northern Ocean’s Deepsea Bollsta crew and all service partners for conducting this activity safely and on schedule.”

For Ghana’s oil and gas industry, these developments come at a crucial time. Increased indigenous participation in the upstream sector has long been an ambition of the Ghanaian government and its people. Achieving this goal requires consistent demonstration that local companies can match or exceed the technical competencies and operational efficiencies of their international counterparts. 

Springfield’s journey—from obtaining government backing through the tribunal ruling, to securing a rig in a tight market, to delivering successful appraisal results—emphasises a critical narrative: Ghanaians can and are capable of leading complex exploration and production projects in their own waters.

It is not just about national pride, however. The financial and economic implications of Springfield’s work on Afina-1x are profound. If further development leads to sustained production, the increased output can bolster Ghana’s revenue from the oil sector. This in turn can support development projects, enhance public services, and contribute to long-term economic growth and diversification. Additionally, this appraisal success might attract further investment into Ghana’s upstream sector. 

As the Ghanaian energy sector looks toward a future marked by indigenous innovation, economic empowerment, and resilience, the Afina-1X appraisal may indeed prove to be a turning point. It lays the groundwork for improved production profiles, confirms that reservoirs can deliver rates at the higher end of expectations, and shows that gas and condensate reservoirs can be tapped for substantial future output. 

Springfield’s journey may herald a new era in the Ghanaian oil and gas sector—one defined by local leadership, better resource management, and a sustainable growth trajectory that benefits the government, the economy, and the people of Ghana. 

As Okyere stated at the beginning of the appraisal: “With the properties that we’ve seen, it should be beyond a miracle for the oil not to flow.” With the oil now confirmed to flow, it seems that the miracle he spoke of has already begun to unfold, carrying with it the promise of a brighter future for Ghana’s energy landscape.