US independent Noble Energy has approved a US$150 million budget to drill "Leviathan-1" off Israel, which will be the deepest well to be drilled in the East Mediterranean.
Noble plans to drill Leviathan-1 on the Rachel License, about 135km west of Haifa. Work is scheduled to begin in October and completed in five months using Transocean’s Sedco Express semi-submersible rig.
“This well is planned to be the deepest well ever drilled into the sea off the coast of Israel. Tthere is limited data about pressure, reservoir and hydrocarbon source conditions that exist at the depths of the secondary targets,” the company said.
The company aims to tap three targets in a water depth of about 1,634 metres, where in the deepest target is estimated to hold 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent of hydrocarbons.
The drilling’s main target is Prospect NG10, a gas target located in Tertiary-Oligocene age sands, to a depth of about 5,095 metres including water depth.
There are a few secondary targets scheduled that will take the well even deeper, down to 7,200 meters (including water depth) into the Leviathan Lower Cretaceous Prospect Target.
The drilling rig may be replaced during the drilling of the deeper section with the Pride North America, which would continue to carry out the drilling operations.
The Sedco Express drilling rig is expected to complete drilling for the Tamar development after it finishes drilling Leviathan-1.
Noble Energy operates the license with a 36% working interest. Other interest owners in the well are Isramco Negev 2 with 28.75%, Delek Drilling with 15.625%, Avner Oil Exploration with 15.625%, and Dor Gas Exploration holds the remaining 4%.
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