Cairn Energy has today begun an appraisal program aimed at assessing the SNE oil discovery, offshore Senegal.

According to FAR Limited, the three wells SNE-2, SNE-3 and BEL-1 are to be drilled back to back in a program anticipated to be completed in mid-2016. Both SNE-2 and SNE-3 appraisal wells will be logged, cored and flow tested. FAR Limited is a partner in the project which is estimatedto about 200 million BO.

FAR further explained that the top hole of SNE-3 will be first drilled by the Ocean Rig Athena. The rig will be then mobilized to the SNE-2 well location where SNE-2 will then be drilled to total depth(TD).

FAR holds a 15% working interest in the permit while Cairn Energy- 40%, ConocoPhillips 35% and Petrosen (Senegal’s National Oil Company) holds 10%.

“This drilling program has the potential to create considerable new shareholder value. We have high hopes for these three wells which have the potential to prove the SNE field size exceeds the minimum economic threshold which we estimate at 200 million barrels.We will also test the very high potential Buried Hills play by drilling the Bellatrix prospect and as such this well will be very exciting.” Cath Norman (photo), Managing Director of FAR, told Oil and gas people.

Operations on the top hole of the SNE-3 well and drilling to TD on the SNE-2 well are expected to last for about 6 weeks after which the coring, logging and flow testing program will start on SNE-2, the company said. On completion of the operations on SNE-2, the SNE-3 well will be re-entered and drilling and evaluation will be carried out before the start of the BEL-1 well.