Oct 30, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Kosmos Energy Provides Update on Exploration Drilling Program Offshore Mauritania

Kosmos Energy (NYSE: KOS) (LSE: KOS) announced today that it has completed drilling the Hippocampe-1 exploration well located in Block C-8 offshore Mauritania in approximately 2,600 meters of water.

Designed to test Lower Cenomanian and Albian reservoirs charged from the deeper Valanginian – Neocomian source, the Hippocampe–1 well was drilled to a total depth of 5,500 meters. Well-developed reservoirs were encountered in both exploration targets but these proved to be water bearing. The well will now be plugged and abandoned. It is believed that this prospect failed due to a lack of charge access in this part of the play fairway.

Andrew G. Inglis, chairman and chief executive officer, said: “Following on from our Yaakar discovery earlier this year, Hippocampe-1 is the second of four tests of independent prospects located in the outboard basin floor fan fairways in our Mauritania and Senegal acreage. Although the well did not encounter oil or gas, it has, together with Yaakar, confirmed the presence of quality cretaceous reservoir in the outboard basin floor fans, which contain multiple leads and prospects, more than 200 kilometers from the north to south through our blocks. We are still in the early stages of opening this newly emerging basin and our forward drilling program remains unchanged given the independent nature of the prospect tests, in particular with regard to charge.”

The Ensco DS 12 drillship will now proceed as planned to Block C-12 offshore Mauritania to test the independent Lamantin oil prospect. The Lamantin prospect is located approximately 80 kilometers offshore and 180 kilometers northeast of Hippocampe in 2,185 meters of water. The prospect comprises Campanian age reservoirs charged from the shallow, immediately underlying, oil prone, oil mature Albian and Cenomanian–Turonian source rocks.

Kosmos holds rights in the C-6, C-8, C-12, C-13, and C-18 contract areas under production sharing contracts with the Government of Mauritania’s Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM). The blocks range in water depth between 100 and 3,000 meters, and have combined acreage of over 40,000 square kilometers gross. Kosmos is the exploration operator of Block C-8 with 28 percent equity and is joined by its partners BP (LSE:BP) (62 percent) and SMHPM (10 percent).

About Kosmos Energy

Kosmos is a leading independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on frontier and emerging areas along the Atlantic Margin. Our assets include existing production and development projects offshore Ghana, large discoveries offshore Mauritania and Senegal, as well as exploration licenses with significant hydrocarbon potential offshore Suriname, Sao Tome and Principe, Morocco and Western Sahara. As an ethical and transparent company, Kosmos is committed to doing things the right way. The Company’s Business Principles articulate our commitment to transparency, ethics, human rights, safety and the environment. Read more about this commitment in the Kosmos 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report. Kosmos is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KOS. For additional information, visit www.kosmosenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Kosmos expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Kosmos’ estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on its current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect its businesses and operations. Although Kosmos believes that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made in light of information currently available to Kosmos. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “will” or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Kosmos, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. Further information on such assumptions, risks and uncertainties is available in Kosmos’ Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings. Kosmos undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update or correct these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.