An exploration well was spudded by Statoil off Nigeria yesterday evening.
Work relating to this Atabila 1 operation should last for three months. Drilling is being done by the Reading & Bates rig M G Hulme Jr.
The well is in block 217, about 150 kilometres west of Port Harcourt. Lying in about 1 000-1 500 metres of water, this acreage has not been drilled before.