Gulf Keystone begins drilling Bekhme-1

25th Mar 2011 07:32

Gulf Keystone started drilling the Bekhme-1 exploration well on the Akri-Bijeel block in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Monday, the oil explorer has confirmed.Bekhme-1 is the second exploration well to be drilled on the block, which sits 20km to the north-east from the Bijell 1 discovery well, where the chance of there being 2.4 billion barrels of oil in place is 50% likely.Target depth is 3,000 metres."Bekhme-1 is the first well to be drilled on the large surface feature that dominates the north of the Akri-Bijeel block, which is adjacent to the Shaikan block with proven oil and gas reservoirs," explains Gulf's chief operating officer John Gerstenlauer."The discoveries at Bijell-1 and Shaikan have considerably de-risked this new drilling target making Bekhme an attractive prospect." Gulf has a 20% working interest in the Akri-Bijeel block.LW