Spudding of first well on Mar

RNS Number : 8662X

Soco International PLC

24 August 2009

 



SOCO International plc

('SOCO' or the 'Company')

SPUDDING OF FIRST WELL ON MARINE XI

SOCO announces that the Liyeke Marine 1 well has spudded on 22nd August 2009 in the Marine XI Block, located in the Congo Basin, offshore the Republic of Congo.

The Liyeke Marine well is the first in a two well drilling programme on Marine XI and is targeting a Sendji sandstone prospect, previously called S1, above the salt layer.  The well will be drilled by using the jack-up drilling rig Pride Cabinda and is expected to take 25 to 35 days, with a planned depth of approximately 1,130 metres below mean sea level.  The follow-up well will appraise the existing pre-salt Viodo oil field at a location approximately one kilometre from the field's discovery well.

The spudding of the Liyeke Marine well launches the most active drilling programme in the Company's history, which includes a 12 month drilling campaign in the Cuu Long Basin, offshore Vietnam, one exploration well on the Marine XIV Block, offshore Republic of Congo, a further exploration well on Marine XI, and two exploration wells on the Nganzi Block, located onshore the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa).

 24th August 2009

ENQUIRIES:

SOCO International plc
Antony Maris, Vice President, Operations and Production 

Tel: [phone]

Pelham Public Relations

James Henderson Tel: [phone]

Mark Antelme Tel: [phone]  

NOTES TO EDITORS:

SOCO is an international oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in London, traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The Company has interests in Vietnam, Thailand, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Angola, with production operations in Vietnam and Thailand.

SOCO holds its interests in the Republic of Congo, all offshore in the Lower Congo Basin, through its 85% owned subsidiary, SOCO Exploration and Production Congo SA (SOCO EPC) which is the designated operator of the two Blocks.

 

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