Offshore staff

EDINBURGH, UK – The Ocean Rig semisub Leiv Eiriksson has temporarily suspended an exploratory well operated by Cairn Energy on the Atammik block off western Greenland.

The AT7-1 well was drilled in the South Ungavva area in 909 m (2,982 ft) water depth, 200 km (124 mi) offshore Nuuk. It is currently suspended above the target objectives, but should be re-entered later this year for drilled to planned depth.

Leiv Eiriksson has since moved 750 km (466 mi) north to spud the Delta-1 well in 293 m (961 ft) water depth in the Napariaq block in the West Disko area. The location is 100 km (62 mi) offshore Greenland coast and 110 km (68 mi) northeast of last year’s Alpha-1S1 well in the Sigguk block.

Cairn’s other contracted rig for this year’s campaign, the Ocean Rig Corcovado, is presently drilling the Gamma-1 on the Eqqua block in 1,520 m (4,987 ft) of water, 110 km southwest of Alpha-1S1.

If time allows, and provided Cairn can secure necessary approvals, it may drill an additional well to target the AT2 prospect in the South Ungavva area.

Cairn adds that it welcomes the decision by Greenland’s government to revise its exploration framework, which has led to its oil spill response plans for the region being made public. This follows pressure by Greenpeace earlier in the year, which included at one point trying to halt drilling operations.

Cairn says its oil spill response plan has been reviewed by the appropriate government bodies and has satisfied independent experts. It has also been reviewed by Denmark’s National Environmental Research Institute (NERI) and Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), both said to be comfortable with the plan.

08/23/2011