Gas find puts reserves above 20 tcf mark for Statoil

A new natural gas discovery offshore Tanzania puts the total amount of reserves there at 21 trillion cubic feet, Norwegian energy company Statoil said Tuesday.

Statoil and its joint venture partner, Exxon Mobil, announced the discovery of about 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place at the Giligiliani-1 exploration well offshore Tanzania. The new discovery pushes the total of in-place gas reserves above the 20 trillion cubic feet mark.

Nick Maden, regional exploration director for Statoil, said the discovery opens up additional drilling opportunities off the Tanzanian coast.

In June, Statoil unveiled a discovery of about 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas off the coast of Tanzania in the Piri prospect.

With the latest find, the Norwegian company said it would move its Discoverer Americas drill ship to the central part of another nearby prospect for further exploration.

Statoil has been working in Tanzania since 2007. The Giligiliani-1 discovery is the company's seventh discovery so far through its joint venture with Exxon.

Last year, energy consultant group Wood Mackenzie reported Tanzania was among the growing number of emerging producers in East Africa.