Heritage Oil has signed a contract with DaQing International to supply the DQ037 2000HP rig to start a multi-well exploration and appraisal drilling programme on the Miran block in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The rig will be used to drill the Miran West-3, which is a 4km step-out appraisal of the major Jurassic gas discovery made by the Miran West-2 well.
The Miran West-3 well is to be spudded in July and will take about 160 days to drill and test, targeting the flanks of the Jurassic structure, with the benefit of the current 3D seismic survey.
On completion of this well, the rig will move to drill the Miran West-4 appraisal well.
Heritage is acquiring 730km² of 3D seismic across the Miran block to help define further appraisal drilling locations and fully exploit fracture networks.