Corallian Energy has hired Fraser Well Management (FWM) as operator for its Curlew-A appraisal drilling job in the central North Sea.
FWM’s Aberdeen-based team expects to start drilling the well in the first half of 2020.
A site survey is currently being conducted by Gardline using the Ocean Endeavour.
Curlew-A will be the fourth well to be delivered by FWM, following the Wick and Colter wells for Corallian.
The firm will also deliver Independent Oil and Gas’s Harvey well, where drilling is expected to start this week.
Curlew-A is thought to contain contingent resources of 38.8 million barrels of oil equivalent based on analysis completed by Schlumberger in February.
The Curlew-A discovery was made by Shell in 1977 in the prolific Central Graben area.
But Shell relinquished licence P2396, which contains Curlew-A, in 2016 and it was awarded to Corallian in the 30th bidding round.
Corallian has a 90% stake in the licence, while Australia’s Talon Petroleum has 10%.
FWM also has an office in Great Yarmouth.