Northern Petroleum said yesterday that drilling had begun on a third exploration well at the Shell operated Guyane Maritime project.
London-listed Northern, which holds a 1.25% stake in the project, said the Cebus well is part of a four-well programme off the coast of French Guiana, following on from the 2011 Zaedyus discovery.
Northern added that the first two wells had proved dry and the third is testing a separate target.
“This is a new, exciting opportunity for the joint venture to further establish the oil production potential in French Guiana,” said chief operating officer Keith Bush.
The exploration venture is led by operator Shell which owns a 45% interest, with Tullow Oil and Total owning 27.5% and 25% respectively.