Engie E&P Norge has started drilling the exploration well PL 636 Cara in the North Sea, off Norway.

The Cara well, spudded on Monday, is located 35 kilometers from shore, and approximately 6 kilometers from Gjøa field in the North Sea. Water depth is about 350 meters and both oil and/or gas cases are considered. The well is regarded a standard exploration well of conventional design with a four string casing program.

The Transocean Arctic semi-submersible drilling rig is being used for the drilling operation.

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 AS.