Offshore staff

EDINBURGH, UK – Cairn Energy has started its 2011 exploration drilling campaign offshore Greenland.

Work has started on both the AT-7 well in the Atammik block, 160 km (99 mi) offshore Nuuk, west Greenland; and the LF-7 well in the Lady Franklin block, 300 km (186 mi) offshore Nuuk.

Cairn has contracted two rigs for this summer’s program, the semisubmersible Leiv Eiriksson and the drillship Ocean Rig Corcovado.

AT-7 and LF-7 are in respective water depths of 905 m and 989 m (2,969 ft and 3,245 ft).

In a related move, Cairn and the drilling contractor have started injunction proceedings in the Netherlands against Greenpeace and the owners of the MS Esperanza and the MS Arctic Sunrise to prevent future disruption of its activities off Greenland.

Cairn says it respects the rights of individuals and organizations to express their views in a safe and peaceful manner but cannot allow any action that poses a potential threat to the safety either of its personnel or of the protesters.

Cairn points out that last year it successfully drilled three wells and acquired 15,000 km (9,320 mi) of seismic offshore Greenland, and all operations were executed safely.

It adds that the Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum has implemented some of the world’s most stringent operating regulations, in line with those applied in the Norwegian North Sea.

06/03/2011