Project Profile
Value: Undisclosed
Location: 200km south east of Johannesburg, Witbank coal mining region, South Africa
Area: 1443km2 of prospective acreage
Reserves 0.8Tcf (best estimate)
Start-up Year: -
The Emerlo Project (Ermelo West Exploration Right) was awarded in December 2012. The Ermelo West Exploration Right covers 1443Km2 of prospective acreage in the Ermelo Project, 200km south east of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Witbank coal mining region. The granting of the licence allows Sunbird to focus its exploration efforts at the Emerlo Project on the western licence area where the coals are at greater depth and have the potential to deliver a commercial gas resource. Emerlo is considered a potential CBM or Coal Bed Methane project due to its extensive coal deposits and the presence of large quantities of methane gas in an old coal mine that operated in the area until 1997. Historic drilling provides a detailed understanding of the coal geology. There are five target coal seams with total net coal thickness ranging from 6m to 15m and individual coal seams that are up to 3m thick.
Initial drilling at Ermelo in March 2012 was constrained to the eastern licence area where the coals are shallower, which limited their gas content. Analysis of results from the first drilling campaign, combined with the historic drilling data, has allowed Sunbird to identify attractive drilling targets for a 2013 drilling program. The key driver for the Ermelo Project is its location immediately adjacent to gas pipeline infrastructure and South Africa’s largest gas users. The gas pipeline from Mozambique traverses the licences providing direct access to markets and customers. The project is also located approximately 60km east of Secunda where Sasol operates major coal and gas to liquid fuels and petrochemical complexes.
There are currently five target coals seams with a range of net coal thickness from 6m to 15m. The Ermelo project provides a combined Best Estimate GIP of 0.8 Tcf, with a High Estimate GIP of 3.45 Tcf
Operators:
Sunbird Energy Ltd: Operator with 100% interest