Oil and gas firm Antrim Energy said today it had found 50 feet of gross hydrocarbon pay on its central North Sea Erne prospect.
This included 20ft of net oil pay in Eocene Upper Tay Sandstone and a separate 10ft net gas play.
Antrim, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, is operator and has 50% equity, with Premier Oil owning the rest.
The two firms have now agreed to drill a sidetrack well on the find using the WilPhoenix drilling rig, which will then move on to drill the nearby Carra prospect, 100% owned by Antrim.
Erne is between the Premier-operated Fyne field and the West and Northwest Guillemot fields.
An appraisal well is scheduled to start on the eastern part of the Fyne field in December.