ENGIE E&P Norge has spudded the Cara exploration well in PL 636 Cara in the Norwegian northern North Sea.
The well is 35km offshore and approximately 6km from the Gjøa field in about 350m water depth.
The well, being drilled using the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible drilling rig, is regarded a standard exploration well of conventional design with a four string casing program.
The drilling operation is scheduled to take approximately 41 days. In case of discovery, the plan is to execute a drill stem test for an additional 25 days to assess the size of the reservoir.
"In case of a commercial discovery, Cara is a potential tie-back to the Gjøa-platform, which we operate. The results from Cara will increase our understanding of the Gjøa area, which is one of our core areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf," says Cedric Osterrieth, Managing Director of ENGIE E&P Norge.
ENGIE E&P Norge, previously GDF Suez, is operator with 30% interest. Partners are
Idemitsu Petroleum Norge (30%), Tullow Oil Norge (20%) and Wellesley Petroleum (20%).