Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is moving ahead with its 2011-12 exploratory drilling program off Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.
The company spud the Montserrado prospect, the first deepwater well off Liberia, in late July. Montserrado is 53 miles southeast of Anadarko’s Mercury-1 discovery well off Sierra Leone.
After Montserrado, Anadarko will move the rig to Sierra Leone to drill the Jupiter-1 exploratory well followed by an appraisal well near the Mercury discovery.
Anadarko said long lead items are in place and letters of intent have been signed for two rig slots off Ivory Coast, where it plans to begin drilling late this year or early in 2012 at the Kosrou-1X and Paon-1 exploratory wells.
