Offshore staff
EDINBURGH, UK – Cairn Energy expects the semisubmersible Cajun Express to start drilling soon on the Foum Draa block offshore Morocco.
The well will test a slope fan prospect, FD II – A. The prime target is a late Jurassic/early Cretaceous deepwater turbidite slope fan and channel complex.
According to Cairn, it will be the first penetration of this objective by any deepwater exploration well to date along the Moroccan margin. Drilling is estimated to last 60 days, with a planned TVDSS of 5,500 m (18,044 ft).
Subject to approvals, the rig then will drill the JM III – A (6) structure on the Juby Maritime III block, targeting a mid-Jurassic carbonate prospect more than 1,000 m (3,281 ft) below Esso’s 1969 heavy-oil Cap Juby discovery at upper Jurassic level. Operations could start late this year or early in 2014.
Offshore Senegal, Cairn aims to start drilling the first of two proposed exploration wells in 1Q 2014, after the rig has finished its program off Morocco.
One well will be on the North Fan composite prospect in 1,500 m (4,921 ft) of water. The other will likely be drilled on a shelf edge composite prospect in 1,100 m (3,609 ft) of water.
Offshore Greenland, Cairn and its partners will decide soon whether to drill the Pitu prospect next year.
Off Norway, a second appraisal well is under way on Wintershall’sSkarfjell discovery (Cairn 20%).
10/17/2013
