Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas has contracted the Stena Forth rig from Stena Carron Drilling Limited Guyana Branch to drill the upcoming Jethro-Lobe prospect on the Orinduik Block, offshore Guyana.

The company’s partners in the Orinduik Block are Total E&P Activités Pétrolières and Tullow Guyana.

The dynamically positioned Class 3 drillship Stena Forth can operate in up to 10,000ft of water to a maximum drill depth of 35,000ft.

It is currently drilling off West Africa and is fully crewed and operating.

“The partners in Orinduik are currently reviewing plans for a second well and expect to formalise those plans soon.”

Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas chief operating officer Colin Kinley said: “The partners selected the 250Mbbl Jethro-Lobe Tertiary prospect in December, which is only a few kilometres away and up dip from multiple Exxon discoveries in the region and in the same proven resource intervals.

“While the Jethro-Lobe is a Tertiary target, which we believe is similar to the Exxon Hammerhead discovery that appears to extend onto Orinduik, we will also drill down to test the Cretaceous section below Jethro.”

The rig will be mobilised to the project at the end of May, with a spudding date expected in June.

The agreement also defines drilling a second well on the Orinduik Block after completion of the Jethro-Lobe well.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas already ordered long lead items, including the wellheads and casings for two wells.

The partners in Orinduik are currently reviewing plans for a second well and expect to formalise those plans soon.

The Stena Forth drillship is already being mobilised in a similar drilling environment.

DrillQuip will supply the wellheads, and support ship and infrastructure agreements are currently underway.