May. 2012 - A technical evaluation of the 2011 Ruche discovery has been completed, reported Panoro Energy. Studies indicate that the discovery has recoverable resources of around 11 MMbbl and is commercially marginal. Further resources will need to be found in order to proceed with a commercial development of the field. The Tortue prospect, about 9 miles (15 kilometers) southeast of Ruche, has been selected as the next exploration prospect to drill. The well will target pre-salt Gamba and mid-Dentale reservoirs and a secondary post-salt Madiela reservoir. When combining these reservoirs, the Tortue prospect has consolidated mean prospective resources of 28 MMbbls with 56 percent geological chance of success. When combining a discovery on Tortue with the existing discovery on Ruche, the minimum commercial threshold for Tortue is estimated to be around 10MMbbl resulting in a commercial chance of success of 46 percent. Rig options are currently being reviewed to drill the Tortue prospect.

Apr. 2012 - Harvest Natural Resources plans to drill an additional well in the Dussafu Ruche Marin field in 2012 after reviewing additional 3D seismic. Rig options are currently being reviewed. The operator is hoping to pinpoint future drilling and development activities in the license.

Mar. 2012 - Harvest Natural Resources announced that it is currently reviewing about 134,670 acres (545 square kilometers) of 3D seismic data acquired over the Dussafu Marin PSC, offshore Gabon. The operator is hoping to pinpoint future drilling and development activities in the license. Last year, the operator drilled one exploratory well, the DRM-1, and two appraisal sidetracks, the DRM-1-ST and the DRM-2ST. These wells were drilled with the Transocean Sedneth 701 (mid-water semisub) in approximately 380 feet (116 meters) of water.

Jul. 2011 - Harvest Natural Resources has discovered a second oil column in the Dussafu Ruche Marin-1 (DRM-1) well in the Dussafu Marin PSC, offshore Gabon, West Africa. The well, deepened to reach a true vertical depth subsea of 11,355 feet (3,461 meters), found nearly 35 feet (11 meters) of oil pay within the secondary objective of the Middle Dentale formation. Last month, the company announced an oil discovery in the pre-salt Gamba reservoir from drilling of the DRM-1 well, and said the company would deepen the well to explore the Middle and Lower Dentale reservoirs. Furthermore, a sidetrack appraisal well to the southwest of the DRM-1 well found 19 feet (6 meters) of oil pay in the Gamba reservoir. Harvest will now sidetrack the DRM-1 well to the northwest to assess the size and structural elevation of Gamba and the commerciality of the Ruche discovery.

Jun. 2011 - Harvest Natural Resources found oil in wildcat well Dussafu Ruche Marin-1 (DRM-1) offshore Gabon, West Africa. Drilled by the Sedneth 701 semisub in 380 feet (116 meters) of water, the well reached a vertical depth of 9,953 feet (3,034 meters) within the Upper Dentale formation. Log evaluation, pressure data and samples indicate the well discovered about 55 feet (17 meters) of pay in a 90 foot (27 meters) oil column within its primary objective, the Gamba formation. The operator will deepen the well to test Middle and Lower Dentale exploration potential and then sidetrack to appraise the extent of the Gamba oil discovery. DRM-1 lies in the Dussafu Marin PSC, which Harvest operates, holding a 66.67% interest.

Apr. 2011 - Harvest Natural Resources has spud exploratory well Ruche Marin-A offshore Gabon, West Africa. The exploratory well is being drilled by Transocean's Sedneth 701 semisub in a water depth of 380 feet (116 meters). The well is testing multiple stacked pre-salt targets to a planned total measured depth of nearly 10,100 feet (3,078 meters). Drilling is anticipated to last 28 days.