Drilling has started on Cairn Energy’s latest exploration campaign offshore Senegal, according to partner FAR.

Cairn Energy is using the Stena DrillMAX drillship to drill the SNE-5 well, which was spudded on Saturday, which will be followed by the SNE-6 well.

The two wells, in Senegal’s Sangomar Deep block, are the latest on the SNE oil field, discovered in 2014 and appraised further last year.

SNE-5 and SNE-6 will look at the upper SNE reservoirs to optimize development well placing. SNE-5 is in the southern area of the SNE oil field approximately 2km south east of SNE-3.

FAR and its partners are considering further optional exploration wells to follow the two firm wells to take advantage of the low cost of the DrillMax.

“FAR has an extensive portfolio of undrilled prospects and together with our JV partners, we are keen to progress evaluation of the full Senegal PSC license area now that we have a commercially viable project at SNE,” says exploration manager Cath Norman.

“This area represents one of the world’s most attractive emerging basins for oil and gas exploration as seen by the recent farm-in by BP to Kosmos’ acreage to the north of FAR’s blocks.”

As part of a deal with independent Kosmos Energy earlier this year, BP acquired an effective 32.49% interest in the Saint-Louis Profond and Cayar Profond blocks offshore Senegal.

BP also acquired a 62% in Kosmos’ neighboring finds offshore Mautitania and said it is planning front end engineering this year with a final investment decision next year on a development option for the Tortue discovery there.

Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com