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US supermajor ExxonMobil has announced that its affiliate, ExxonMobil Libya Ltd, has started drilling the first deepwater exploration well in Libya.
The A1-20/3 well is being drilled in Contract Area 20 (CA 20) located offshore in the Sirte Basin, northeast of the city of Misrata, in the Libyan Mediterranean Sea.
“We are pleased to start drilling our first deepwater exploration well in Libya based on the rigorous technical work conducted by our Libyan National and expatriate scientists, and in collaboration with the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to progress our exploration program,” Phil Goss, president of ExxonMobil Libya Limited, said.
The company said that the rig, contracted from Noble Africa Limited, is capable of operating in water depths up to 2,195 meters, and can drill to a depth of 9,144 meters.
Elsewhere in Libya, ExxonMobil Libya Limited has completed two 3D seismic surveys in offshore Contract Areas 20 and 21, and three 2D seismic surveys in offshore Contract Areas 44, 20, and 21.
