- Botala Energy recorded an early gas response at its Serowe-3.5B CBM well in Botswana, ahead of full reservoir drawdown.
- The result supports the commercial potential of the Serowe project, with sustained gas flow now key to financing and development.
Botala Energy Ltd. has recorded an early gas response at its Serowe-3.5B well in Botswana ahead of full reservoir drawdown, an encouraging signal for the commercial viability of its Serowe Coalbed Methane (CBM) project.
Testing showed gas desorbing from the coal seam while fluid levels remained roughly 80 metres above the target depth. With water pumping continuing at approximately 12.2 barrels per hour, the early response indicates the reservoir may be reaching critical desorption pressure ahead of schedule.
Serowe-3.5B is a core component of the Pitse Pilot, a six-well cluster representing the first of four planned development phases. Botala holds an independently certified 2C Contingent Resource of 454 billion cubic feet across less than 5% of its 4,200-square-kilometre license area.
Data from neighboring wells further support the site’s outlook. Serowe-3.5A successfully flared gas during a controlled blowdown, recovering casing pressure to 48 psi within three days. Meanwhile, Serowe-3.3 yielded notable gas from the deeper Upper Morupule seam, revealing an additional potential production horizon.
Chief Executive Officer Kris Martinick noted that achieving a gas response prior to full drawdown marks an important milestone for the pilot program.
The next critical hurdle for Botala is establishing a sustained, commercial gas flow rate. Demonstrating stable flow will be essential to advancing reserves certification, securing project financing, and progressing off-take discussions. Fully developed, the 108-well project aims to produce roughly 3.5 petajoules of LNG annually (~200 tonnes per day), supported by existing environmental approvals for the field, processing facilities, and pipeline corridor.