RoyalGate Energy, Texan company on the lookout for big oil and gas prospects in Africa which are not yet operated, announced on 25th September the impeding start on block Z of his drilling programme on the Tulip Upper Isongo discovery and the Tulip Massive Isongo prospect.

The drilling of the first Z-1 well on the block, located at the north of Bioko Island and south of the Alba oil field run by Marathon Oil, will take place during the first quarter 2016, the American company, operator on this block, specified.

"This is the continuation of what we consider as a long term partnership with Equatorial Guinea and we see important development opportunities on block Z", Frank Ene, president of RoyalGate, commented.

Mr. Ene also mentioned the optimism of the Texan company, which also owns interests in Ghana and Angola, on the "prospection potential of block Z and its other active assets in Equatorial Guinea".

RoyalGate Energy estimates to 3.6 trillion cube feet the gas reserves on block Z where, in 2014, 3D seismic data covering 600km2 revealed the Tulip, Daisy, Buttercup and Sunflower prospects.