Drilling starts on Han Asparuh Block offshore Bulgaria
Noble Corp. confirmed today with Offshore that its Globetrotter I drillship is offshore Bulgaria and has spudded the Vinekh-1 exploration well in the Black Sea for operator OMV Petrom and partner NewMed Energy, on time and as previously announced by OMV.
The well location is 200 km east of Varna in the Han Asparuh Block, in just under 2,000 m of water depth. Another well will follow, with the combined cost estimated at about Eur170 million (US$198.7 million).
Halliburton is providing integrated drilling services, with SLB managing well testing. The two-well campaign should continue for five months.
Previous operator TotalEnergies began activities on the block in 2012, initially via geological and geophysical surveys followed by three exploratory wells.
A subsequent 3D seismic survey identified potential new drilling targets.
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About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.