Total announces that its Nigerian operating subsidiary, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. (EPNL), has made a significant extension of the Usan field discovery in deepwater Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 222, offshore southeastern Nigeria.

The Usan-4 appraisal well, located around 110 kilometres offshore and 5 kilometres south of the Usan-1 well in water depths of approximately 750 metres, is the third successful appraisal of the Usan field discovered in 2002.

Two zones were tested in the Usan-4 well and flowed at 4,400 and 6,300 barrels of oil per day under restricted flow conditions. The well has confirmed the presence of commercial quantities of oil, as well as additional potential in previously untested reservoirs.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) is concessionaire for OPL 222 under a production sharing contract operated by Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. (20 percent), in partnership with Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Ltd., Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Ltd. and Nexen Petroleum Nigeria Ltd.