World Mining Exploration News

Energy firm probes coal-bed methane prospects in Botswana, Zimbabwe

Botswana may soon have its first coal-bed methane gas development project following the discovery of what has been described as an “unexpected occurrence” by Nyati Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zulu Energy Corporation, of the US.

Zulu Energy is a Denver-based energy and exploration company focused on the discovery and development of coal-bed methane in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Zulu Energy chairperson Brian Hughes says a preliminary exploration study of the Kalahari Karoo basin had indicated that the coal-bed and associated and carbonaceous shale within the study area contained a large gas-in-place resource.

“Our business plan outlines a multiphase programme. During the initial phase of exploration, in Botswana we plan to drill approximately nine exploration wells to confirm the coal deposit, estimate the gas content of the coal and identify production pilot locations,” he says.

He adds that the first phase is under way, with four of the nine exploration wells already sunk.

“The discovery of a conventional deposit of natural gas at this exploratory location adds a tremendous level of excitement to this project and further affirms our confidence in the hydrocarbon potential of Botswana,” Hughes says.

He says Zulu Energy has already advised the government of Botswana of the gas occurrence and has applied to the Botswana Geological Survey to have this record this as a gas discovery while further exploration continues at three other locations within the licence area.

Coring operations are also under way on another well located 48 km away.

According to Hughes, coring operations, meant to determine the potential of the coal-bed methane deposit, are expected to be completed within the next few weeks. This is planned to be executed on seven additional wells in order to determine where, during the second phase, 16 pilot wells will be drilled.

Zulu Energy owns Nyati Botswana, a company with prospecting rights to licences covering 2,2-million acres in the Kalahari Karoo basin of north-eastern Botswana.

Meanwhile, the company has painted a very promising picture of future operations in Zimbabwe, where, it says, core samples taken from hundreds of holes in the west of the country indicated the presence of a “world-class deposit of gas”.

“The thickest coals in Zimbabwe are in the west, just across the border from Zulu’s prospect area. Geophysical borehole logs indicate that the low-density accumulations of coal and coaly shale in the area are very thick, exceeding 100 m.

“Test wells drilled by Zulu management for other companies in Zimbabwe have produced gas, even before full dewatering. The extension of the thick, gassy trends of coal-bed methane in Zimbabwe is the target for Zulu in Botswana. Zulu expects to find the thickest coals in the region, based on geological trends beneath the Kalahari sands.”

While not much is known about Zulu Energy outside its Zimbabwe and Botswana operations, information posted on its website says it has over 40 years of experience in petroleum engineering and geology and began pioneering coal-bed methane exploration in Africa in the early 1990s.