ExxonMobil Drills Libya's First Deepwater Well

World energy demands are pushing providers into unexplored fields from biofuels to new oilfields. ExxonMobil recently announced that its affiliate, ExxonMobil Libya Limited, has begun drilling the first deepwater exploration well in Libya. The A1-20/3 well is being drilled in Contract Area 20 (CA20) which is offshore in the Sirte Basin, northeast of the city of Misrata, in the Libyan Mediterranean Sea.

ExxonMobil contracted a rig from Noble Africa Limited; the Noble Homer Ferrington rig can operate in water depths of 7,2000 feet (2,195 meters) and can drill to a depth of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The Company chose this rig because it is designed for high efficiency and safety and can operate in many global deepwater environments.

In other Libyan explorations, ExxonMobil Libya Limited 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.

Phil Goss, President of ExxonMobil Libya Limited, reports that, “ExxonMobil has a long and successful history of working in Libya, where we previously operated as Esso and Mobil.

“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.”

Environmentally mindful, ExxonMobil proudly added to the press release that it has an “unwavering commitment to operations safety and integrity and to protecting the environment. These core values are embedded in the way we work and implemented globally through our management systems. ExxonMobil has a proven track record of operating to the highest industry standards in all aspects of our business.”