The operator Kerr-McGee has found gas in a deepwater block in the Gulf of Mexico, in which Statoil holds a 25% interest.
The find has been proven in Atwater Valley block 140 on the Claymore prospect, which is located at a water depth of around 1,100 metres, 240 kilometres southeast of New Orleans.
The Claymore 1 well was drilled to a total depth of about 7,620 metres below sea level and dry gas was proven in several reservoir zones.
A sidetrack well is planned to be drilled in order to appraise the extent of the find and estimate the resource potential.
The licensees in block 140 are Kerr-McGee (operator) with 33.5%, Dominion Exploration & Production (31.5%), Statoil (25%) and Woodside Energy (USA) with 10%.