ExxonMobil, Qatar Energy kick off Cyprus appraisal drilling
ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy have spudded the Glaucus-2 appraisal well at Block 10 off the coast of Cyprus, the Cypriot energy ministry reported on December 22.
The well is being drilled by the Stena Forth rig, and will target the 2019 Glaucus gas discovery. Glaucus' size is estimated at 5-8 trillion ft3 of in-place gas resources. The discovery well was drilled to a depth of 4,200 m below the sea level, in waters 2,063 m deep.
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ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy had planned to spud the appraisal well earlier, but postponed plans last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month the pair also secured drilling rights to the offshore Block 5 off Cyprus, adjacent to Block 10.
The start of drilling at Block 10 drew the ire of the de-facto state of North Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey, which lays claim to any energy resources discovered off its coast. North Cyprus' foreign ministry warned that "necessary measures will be taken against this initiative, which is a violation of not only the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, but also the continental shelf of the Republic of Turkey."
"It is not possible to stand idly by and watch the deliberate efforts of the Greek Cypriot side to escalate the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean region," the ministry continued.