Preliminary results from Cairn’s offshore drilling west of Greenland

Cairn Energy has just released its half-yearly report. This report includes a description of the preliminary results from Cairn’s offshore drilling west of Disko-Nuussuaq.

Drilling has been carried out in accordance with very high safety and environmental standards and is proceeding as planned.

A very extensive inspection programme has been carried out involving a series of inspections carried out by the Greenland authorities, Norwegian consultants and representatives from the Canadian authorities.

The inspections have shown that Cairn’s drilling activities are being carried out in accordance with very high safety standards, and that all the requirements imposed by the Greenland authorities are being met conscientiously.

It should be noted that there have only been relatively few icebergs in the area. When there have been icebergs, the ice-management systems have met expectations, and towing the icebergs has not involved any serious problems. All in all, climatic conditions have been calm and stable during the drilling period.

Oil drilling vessels at sea west of Disko-Nuussuaq are drilling in two wells, the T8 well and the Alpha well. Hydrocarbons have been encountered in the T8 well in the form of gas in the thin sandlayers. Cairn has reported that this indicates that there is an active petroleum system in the area. This well is still not complete.

The drilling target for the Alpha well is deeper than the drilling target for the T8 well. Drilling in the Alpha well has now almost reached the chalk layer, where oil reservoirs are often found. Drilling in the Alpha well is not expected to be completed until September.

The third drilling, the T4 well, is to be carried out at an undersea depth of 485m in the same licence block as the first drillings.